Background & Aims
Health work involves exposure to several risk factors that potentially cause harm, not only known biological risks, but also exposure to psychological demands at work, ergonomic demands, exposure to physical and chemical factors; and work accidents1. The problems that affect the health of healthcare workers have always existed and have been increasing and becoming increasingly more complex over the years2,3, having been heightened and more evident after the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the existing literature presents well-consolidated data inherent to the musculoskeletal health conditions of workers 3,4, there is a gap in knowledge regarding information on illness due to the same conditions in the post-COVID-19 period. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify musculoskeletal symptoms among healthcare workers after the COVID-19 pandemic in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Methods
This is a descriptive cross-sectional study, carried out with workers from the Municipal Health Department (SMS) of Salvador-BA. The study population was made up of 10,626 health workers linked to the Municipal Health Department in the period from August 2022, from which 644 workers were excluded, totaling a population of 9,982. After randomization by clusters with replacement, the final sample was 684 workers. The instrument consisted of questions, distributed in two blocks: sociodemographic and clinical data, musculoskeletal symptoms in the last seven days and six months, through the Nordic Musculoskeletal Symptoms Questionnaire (QNSO)5, having been applied by trained and pilot researchers. For the descriptive analysis of the data, absolute and relative frequencies, measures of central tendency, and dispersion were used. Losses due to incorrect completion were not considered for the analyses.
Results
Regarding sociodemographic characteristics, 73.8% were female; 73.2% were cisgender women; 26.9% in the age group 38 to 44 years old; 44.2% single marital status; 44.6% black race/skin color; 30.5% said they had completed higher education.
In the last six months, workers reported having pain, tingling, or numbness in the lower back (48.0%), shoulders (39.6%), and neck (39.0%). Regarding the existence of pain, tingling, or numbness in the last 7 days, 28.0% stated these symptoms in the lower back When asked whether the pain, tingling, or numbness prevented them from carrying out work, leisure, or domestic activities, 54.9% said no. On the other hand, among those who were prevented from carrying out the activities, 86.1% consulted a health professional due to discomfort
Conclusions
The most prevalent musculoskeletal symptoms among healthcare workers after the COVID-19 Pandemic were in the last six months: pain, tingling, or numbness in the lower back, shoulders, and neck. Regarding the existence of pain, tingling, or numbness in the last 7 days, these symptoms were most prevalent in the lower back. Chronic pain is currently the biggest cause of suffering in the world, and pain conditions musculoskeletal disorders are among the main causes of disability worldwide among healthcare workers. Within the scope of symptoms described in the literature regarding Post-Covid-19 musculoskeletal pain is among the most frequent. Therefore, more studies must be carried out seeking to investigate the impact of COVID-19 as a risk for the worsening of these symptoms in a population that sometimes is invisible
References
1.BAHIA. Secretaria da Sau?de do Estado da Bahia. Programa de Atenc?a?o Integral a? Sau?de da Trabalhadora e do Trabalhador da SESAB (PAIST): documento base / Secretaria da Sau?de. Superintende?ncia de Recursos Humanos. Diretoria deGesta?o do Trabalho e Educac?a?o na Sau?de. – 2. ed. Salvador: SESAB/SUPERH/DGTES, 2021
2. Petersen R de S, Marziale MHP. Análise da capacidade no trabalho e estresse entre profissionais de enfermagem com distúrbios osteomusculares. Rev Gaúcha Enferm [Internet]. 2017;38(3). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-1447.2017.03.67184
3. Faller EM, Bin Miskam N, Pereira A. Exploratory Study on Occupational Health Hazards among Health Care Workers in the Philippines. Ann Glob Health. 2018 Aug 31;84(3):338-341. doi: 10.29024/aogh.2316. PMID: 30835385; PMCID: PMC6748249.
4. Bien E, Davis K, Gillespie G. Home Healthcare Workers’ Occupational Exposures. Home Healthc Now. 2020 Sep/Oct;38(5):247-253. doi: 10.1097/NHH.0000000000000891. PMID: 32889992.
5. de Barros EN, Alexandre NM. Cross-cultural adaptation of the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. Int Nurs Rev. 2003 Jun;50(2):101-8. doi: 10.1046/j.1466-7657.2003.00188.x. PMID: 12752909.
Presenting Author
Giulia Santana
Poster Authors
Topics
- Specific Pain Conditions/Pain in Specific Populations: Muscle and Myofascial pain