Relationship between family function and low back pain in nurses working in a tertiary hospital in North Central Nigeria

Abstract

Aim: The study aimed to determine the relationship between family functioning and low back pain (LBP) in nurses in a tertiary hospital in North Central Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study using structured questionnaires was done among 204 randomly selected, eligible, consenting nurses in a tertiary hospital between August-November 2011. Sociodemographic data and Family APGAR Scores were collected, collated and analyzed with SPSS version 21. Results: Results showed that 92.2% (188) were from high functioning families, while 7.8% had moderately dysfunctional families. None of the respondents were from severely dysfunctional families. Independent t-test did not show any significant difference in the family function scores for nurses with LBP and those that did not have LBP, t = 0.716, P = 0.475. Spearman’s rank correlation did not reveal any significant relationship between severity of back pain and Family APGAR. Spearman’s r = -0.046, P = 0.606. Conclusion: Family function scores did not significantly differ for nurses with LBP and those without LBP. The low level of family functioning might have been due to the self-reported nature of the Family APGAR tool. Further studies should consider other assessments of family functionality as a possible predictor of LBP in nurses