Journal of Health & Medical Economics

Sleep quality, physical and psychological outcomes in nurses with low back pain from a tertiary hospital, South India

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) affects 80% of the
population globally. In India, prevalence of LBP among nurses
is reported to be 66%.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was
adopted to assess the sleep quality of nurses with low back pain
in a tertiary care setting, South India and to determine the
relationship of sleep quality with the physical and
psychological parameters such as pain intensity, functional
disability, anxiety, and depression. All the nurses willing to
participate in the study, and available during the data collection
period were screened for LBP. Among the nurses with LBP,
193 subjects were selected using systematic random sampling
technique. Study was approved by the Institutional Review
Board and informed written consent was obtained from the
subjects.
Subjects were asked to complete the following questionnaires:
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Short-form McGill Pain
Questionnaire (SFMP), Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability
Questionnaire (ODI), Zung Self-rating Anxiety (ZSA) and
Depression (ZSD) scales.
Results: Among 1284 nurses screened, 686 (53.4%) had LBP.
Of the 193 nurses included in the study 68.4% of the nurses had
good quality of sleep. Majority of the subjects had minimal
disability (68.4%), moderate pain (81.3%), and normal anxiety
(56.3%) and depression (91.7%) levels. There was a significant
positive correlation between sleep quality and pain intensity
(r=.355, p<.01), disability (r=.376, p<.01), anxiety (r=.297,
p<.01), and depression (r=.233, p<.001).
Conclusion: Improving sleep quality will decrease the physical
and psychological manifestations of patients with low back pain
and hence improve the quality of life of nurses with LBP.
Biography:
Nirmala M Emmanuel has completed her MSc Nursing at the
age of 30 years from Christian Medical College (CMC),
Vellore affiliated to Tamilnadu Dr. MGR Medical University.
She is working as a Nurse Manager in the Surgical Nursing
department of CMC, which is a multispeciality hospital with
nearly 2500 beds. She also serves as a Professor at the College
of Nursing, CMC, Vellore. Nursing is an integrated system of
education and practice in the institution.
Speaker Publications:
1. Cunningham C, Flynn T, Blake C. Low back pain and
occupation among Irish health workers. Occup Med.
2006;56(7):23–28.
2. Mafuyai MY, Babangida BG, Mador ES, Bakwa DD, Jabil
YY. The increasing cases of lower back pain in developed
Nations: a reciprocal effect of development. AJIS.
2014;3(5):23–28.
3. Golob A, Wipf J. Low Back Pain. Med Clin North Am.
2014;98(3):405–428.
4. Lidgren L. The bone and joint decade 2000–2010. Bulletin of
the World Health Organization. 2003;81(9):629.
5. CDC, author. Preventing back injuries in health care settings.
Atlanta, USA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
2008.

 

5th World Congress on Public Health and Nutrition;
London, UK- February 24-25, 2020.
Abstract Citation:
Nirmala M Emmanuel, Sleep quality, physical and
psychological outcomes in nurses with low back pain from a
tertiary hospital, South India, Public Health 2020, 5th World
Congress on Public Health and Nutrition; London, UKFebruary
24-25, 2020
(https://publichealth.healthconferences.org/abstract/2020/sleepquality-
physical-and-psychological-outcomes-in-nurses-withlow-
back-pain-from-a-tertiary-hospital-south-india)

Author(s):

Nirmala M Emmanuel

Abstract | PDF

Share this