The Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Impairments and Its Relationship with Functional Disability in the Upper Extremity of Registered Nurses of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

Impairment means a deficit in the body structure such as the musculoskeletal system. Functional disability refers to the negative aspects of the interaction between the individual and the environment. Examining the relationship between impairment and disability determines the role of impairment in making disability. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal impairment and the relationship between the impairment with functional disability of registered hospital nurses.
This cross-sectional observational study conducted at three affiliated hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences during two months period. Seventy two qualified nurses that were available in nurses’ station of hospitals at the time of sampling were studied. Data were collected by two self-reported questionnaires, NORDIC and DASH. The prevalence of impairments in different areas of upper extremity were estimated. Level of disability between two groups of cases with and without impairment were tested by T-test. Correlation between impairment and disability was assessed using Eta correlation coefficient.
70.8% of study population reported impairment in at least one area of their upper extremity. The mean score of DASH was 19.2±15.7. The level of disability was significantly higher in people with impairment than those without impairment (p=0.018). However, Eta correlation coefficient equated to 0.28 showed weak correlation between impairment and disability in the present study.
While the prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal impairment was relatively high, the score of 19.2 in DASH questionnaire implied the low level of disability. Weak correlation between impairment and disability in this study may be due to non-linearity and complexity of the relationship between these two factors that necessitates more precise inspections and further studies.