The incidence of occupational back injury in the healthcare sector remains high despite decades of efforts to reduce such injuries. This prospective cohort study investigated the risk factors for back injury during patient transfer. Healthcare workers (n = 2080) from 314 departments at 17 hospitals in Denmark replied to repeated questionnaires sent every 14 days for one year. Using repeated-measures binomial logistic regression, controlling for education, work, lifestyle, and health, the odds for back injury (i.e., sudden onset episodes) were modeled. On the basis of 482 back injury events, a higher number of patient transfers was an important risk factor, with odds ratio (OR) 3.58 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.51–5.10) for 1–4 transfers per day, OR 7.60 (5.14–11.22) for 5–8 transfers per day, and OR 8.03 (5.26–12.27) for 9 or more transfers per day (reference: less than 1 per day). The lack of necessary assistive devices was a common phenomenon during back injury events, with the top four lacking devices being sliding sheets (30%), intelligent beds (19%), walking aids (18%), and ceiling lifts (13%). For the psychosocial factors, poor collaboration between and support from colleagues increased the risk for back injury, with OR 3.16 (1.85–5.39). In conclusion, reducing the physical burden in terms of number of daily patient transfers, providing the necessary assistive devices, and cultivating good collaboration between colleagues are important factors in preventing occupational back injuries among healthcare workers.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between perceived stress and odds of low-back pain (LBP) in a population of Danish healthcare workers. Methods: Utilizing a prospective cohort design with 1-year follow-up, a total of 1,944 healthcare workers from 389 departments at 19 hospitals responded to questionnaires containing items related to lifestyle, health, and working environment. Using Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, associations between baseline stress levels and LBP intensity (0–10 scale) at follow-up were modeled using cumulative logistic regression, accounting for clustering at the department level and adjusting for age, sex, baseline intensity of LBP, education, seniority, number of daily patient transfers, psychosocial work environment, and lifestyle factors. Results: For the entire population, moderate and high stress (reference: low stress) at baseline increased the odds of LBP at 1-year follow-up with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.39 (95% CI 1.13–1.71) and 1.99 (95% CI 1.49–2.66), respectively. Sensitivity analyses among female nurses showed similar results [i.e., OR 1.40 (95% CI 1.08–1.80) and OR 2.08 (95% CI 1.44–3.00) for moderate and high stress, respectively], while only high stress significantly increased the odds among those without LBP at baseline. Conclusions: Psychological stress increases the odds of LBP among healthcare workers. Identifying and diminishing work-related psychosocial stressors should be included in strategies that aim to prevent musculoskeletal disorders in this population.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the importance of combined ergonomic exposures at work for the development of musculoskeletal pain. Methods Through four rounds (2012–2018) of the Work Environment and Health in Denmark Study, 18 905 employees of the general working population replied to a baseline and 2-year follow-up questionnaire. First, a k-means cluster analysis of seven ergonomic factors (back bending, arm above shoulders, lifting etc., from ‘never’ to ‘almost all the time’) identified nine naturally occurring clusters. Second, using a weighted survey regression model controlling for age, gender, survey year, education, lifestyle, influence at work, and pain intensity at baseline, we estimated development of pain intensity (0–10) in the neck-shoulder and low-back in these clusters. The largest cluster served as reference to the other clusters and was characterized by low ergonomic exposures. Results Clusters characterized by multiple combined ergonomic exposures for a relatively high percentage of the working time showed the largest increase in neck-shoulder as well as low-back pain intensity from baseline to follow-up. However, clusters characterized by high exposure to a few specific ergonomic factors also increased pain significantly, eg, standing/walking combined with lifting/carrying or twisted/bent back for the majority of the working time increased low-back pain, whereas repetitive arm movements for the majority of the working time with or without standing/walking increased neck-shoulder pain. Conclusion Combined occupational ergonomic exposures play an important role in the development of musculoskeletal pain. Workplace preventive approaches should consider this in risk assessments and organization of the work.

Background: While acute stress and pain are part of our inherent survival mechanisms, persistent stress and pain can negatively impact health and well-being. This may also lead to poor sleep and thus a lack of recovery. This study investigated the influence of stress and musculoskeletal pain on sleep quality. Methods: A total of 3,593 Danish hospital workers replied to a questionnaire about work and health. Pain intensity was evaluated using subjective values as an average of 9 body parts. Stress was assessed using the full version of Cohen's Perceived Stress scale. Sleep quality was rated using 3 questions on sleep characteristics. Associations between stress and pain (mutually adjusted predictors) and sleep (outcome) were modeled using binary logistic regression controlling for gender, age, education, BMI and smoking. Results: The risk ratio of moderate stress (compared to no/low stress) on poor sleep was 1.27 (CI 1.26–1.29), whereas the risk ratio of high stress on poor sleep was 1.87 (CI 1.83–1.91). Similarly, for pain, the risk ratio of moderate pain (compared to no/low pain) on poor sleep was 1.18 (95% CI 1.16–1.19), whereas the risk ratio of a high pain score on poor sleep was 1.48 (95% CI 1.44–1.52). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that both stress and musculoskeletal pain are associated with poor sleep among hospital workers. Hospital management should consider implementing strategies for preventing stress and musculoskeletal pain to improve the overall health and workability among hospital workers.