The Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Complaints among Hospital Nurses and Nursing Home Caregivers in Indonesia
Corresponding email: hiridias@vt.edu
Published at : 29 Jul 2019
Volume : IJtech
Vol 10, No 4 (2019)
DOI : https://doi.org/10.14716/ijtech.v10i4.1320
Iridiastadi, H., Anggawisnu, B., Didin, F.S., Yamin, P.A.R., 2019. The Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Complaints among Hospital Nurses and Nursing Home Caregivers in Indonesia. International Journal of Technology. Volume 10(4), pp. 854-861
| Hardianto Iridiastadi | Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Bandung, JL. Ganesha No. 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia |
| Bayuardi Anggawisnu | Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Bandung, JL. Ganesha No. 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia |
| Fatin Saffanah Didin | Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Bandung, JL. Ganesha No. 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia |
| Putra Alif Ramdhani Yamin | Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Bandung, JL. Ganesha No. 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia |
The jobs of hospital
nurses and nursing home caregivers are
often associated with risks of musculoskeletal disorders. Little is known,
however, about the prevalence of such problems among nurses and caregivers in
Indonesia. This study aims at determining the prevalence of musculoskeletal (MS)
complaints experienced by caregivers in
Indonesia and identifying relevant factors contributing to this problem. Standardized Nordic Questionnaires were
distributed to 121 hospital nurses and nursing home caregivers, as a means of understanding the
magnitude of the problem. Results of this study demonstrated that 75% of the
respondents reported MS complaints (for any body parts) in the previous year.
Roughly 40 to 50% of the respondents reported MS complaints of the upper and
lower back. Complaints of the shoulder, neck, and right wrist were reported by
about 30 to 40% of the respondents. Compared to their colleagues in the
hospital, nursing home caregivers were six to eight times more likely to
experience right shoulder problems and about three to four times more likely to
develop lower back problems. Other working conditions resulting in an increased
chance of MS problems included age, length of employment, and shift durations.
It was suspected that poor working postures and excessive effort while handling
the patients were two major factors that were in need of immediate attention. The
findings of this study could be used as a basis for ergonomic interventions in
both medical and home care settings. Such improvements may, in the long run,
result in better morale, increased productivity, and a stronger bottom line for
hospital and nursing home too.
Caregivers; Hospital; Musculoskeletal complaints; Nurses; Nursing homes
Regardless of the causes,
physically disabled patients in hospitals and nursing homes are commonly assisted
by nurses and caregivers. The majority of patient handling tasks are
physical in nature (e.g., lifting, positioning, moving, transferring), and
these activities are often associated with risks of musculoskeletal (MS)
problems (Nelson, 2006; Warming et al., 2009). These problems have been reported
in the relevant literature (e.g., Karahan et al., 2009), with poor
(non-neutral) working postures and forceful exertions being important
occupational risk factors. Injuries to the musculoskeletal system could recur (Cilliers
& Maart, 2013), which may need a relatively
long recovery time.
A number of investigations have studied the prevalence of MS complaints among workers in medical settings and noted several body parts which have especially greater prevalence (e.g., Smith et al., 2004). Ergonomic interventions and workplace improvements have been suggested (Kamioka & Honda, 2013), with varying results. While the prevalence of MS complaints among nurses and caregivers has been widely reported, the availability of such information relating to developing nations (such as Indonesia) is limited. It was also suspected that there were differences in task characteristics, when comparing nursing homes and typical public hospitals in Indonesia to those in developed countries. This investigation sought to determine the prevalence of MS complaints among nursing home caregivers and hospital nurses in Indonesia and, further, to identify factors associated with MS complaints. It was expected that the findings of this study could be used as a rationale for workplace improvements.
This study specifically sought to understand the prevalence of
musculoskeletal problems among hospital nurses and nursing home caregivers. It
was concluded in this research that a large majority of the workers had
experienced injuries or complaints in the previous year. The body parts with
the greatest number of incidents included the lower back, upper back, right
shoulder, and the neck area. Nursing home caregivers tended to be associated with
an increased likelihood of MS problems, followed by nurses working at inpatient
care facilities. Other work factors seeming to contribute to the problems
include longer shift hours, longer length of employment, and more senior
workers suffering from MS problems. Those with higher BMIs were also related to
higher ergonomic risks. Although not specifically addressed, poor posture and
excessive effort during patient handling could be the two major factors
influencing the high prevalence of MS problems. The findings of this study
could be used as a basis for ergonomic interventions and, especially, further
research in Indonesia addressing musculoskeletal injuries and complaints among
hospital nurses and nursing home caregivers. It is expected that such interventions
could improve the quality of working life among nurses and caregivers, and also
improve the hospital and nursing home’s bottom line in the long run.
This research has been
partially funded by the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education
(Grant #: RT-2016-0375).
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