The effect of work- related stress on development of neck and shoulder complaints among nurses in one tertiary hospital in Iran

Background: There are some challenges about the role of work- related stress on development of musculoskeletal complaints. The present prospective study was conducted on nurses of Milad hospital in Tehran (Iran) to assess the role of work- related stress on development of neck and shoulder pain among nurses. Methods: From the 1,900 nurses who completed the registry forms, 1,450 nurses met the inclusion criteria. We divided the participants into exposed and unexposed groups according to their DASS-21 scores. We collected the data of neck and shoulder pain among the nurses at two points of the first and the second year after the study, using the Nordic Questionnaire. Qualitative and quantitative variables were compared between the exposed and unexposed variables with chi-square and independent sample t-test, respectively. Results: One year after the commencement of the study, 62 (9.1%) nurses in the exposed group and 36 (4.7%) in the unexposed group had been reported as new cases of neck and shoulder pain, respectively. The incidence of the new cases of neck and shoulder pain was significantly higher in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group (p= 0.001). Two years after the start of the study, at the second follow-up point, 135 (19.8%) nurses in the exposed group and 76 (9.9%) in the unexposed group had been reported as new cases of neck and shoulder pain, respectively. The incidence of new cases of neck and shoulder pain was significantly higher in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group (p<0.001). Conclusions: The incidence of neck and shoulder pain was higher in those nurses with high level of workrelated stress. According to our results, more attention should be paid to mental health as well as physical symptoms and limitations of the healthcare workers when they refer to occupational health services with musculoskeletal pain complaints.