Prevalence and risk factors for neck pain among health care workers.

Abstract

Background Work related neck pain (WRNP) is common among professionals. Its cause is multifactorial and results in loss of productivity and avoidable morbidity. Aims & Objectives To estimate the prevalence and risk factors of WRNP among the support staff of a tertiary hospital. Material & Methods 558 support staff were randomly selected to estimate the prevalence of neck pain. Staff with severe WRNP were then included in a nested case control study to identify risk factors. Results: 37% of workers reported neck pain in the preceding 3 months. Female gender, improper posture, jobs requiring repetitive movements, perception of decreased job control, high body mass index and psychosocial stress were identified as the significant risk factors. Conclusion Better ergonomics, improving the perception of job control and encouraging micro breaks during the work time may decrease WRNP.