Multifactorial assistive device intervention to prevent low back pain among caregivers

Caregivers are among those professionals who experience the highest incidence of low back pain and low back injuries, and one of the most frequently described reasons for this is person transfers. This paper reports on a controlled intervention study in two Danish municipalities with perceived strain during person transfer, self reported low back pain and low back injuries as main outcomes. The intervention was implemented in one municipality consisting of maximum use of assistive devices for person transfer combined with organizational changes. The other municipality served as control group. The study population consisted of all permanently employed caregivers in the two municipalities, and data was collected by means of a questionnaire at baseline and after 10 months of follow-up. At follow-up the caregivers in the intervention group reported lower perceived strain during person transfer and fewer low back injuries compared to the control group. However, no differences were found in terms of intensity and duration of low back pain. Reasons for the differences are discussed.