Minghelli Beatriz, Inácio Guerreiro Andreia, Pinho Marketa, Gomes Diogo Manuel Rafael, Antunes Rita Sofia Ribeiro, Nunes Chloé Rafaela Colaço
INSIGHT - Piaget Research Center for Ecological Human Development - Lisboa, Portugal.
Instituto Piaget de Silves - Silves, Portugal.
Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2025 Mar 31;71(2):e20241034. doi: 10.1590/1806-9282.20241034. eCollection 2025.
The formal caregiver is the professional who provides healthcare to the elderly person in carrying out tasks that they are unable to carry out independently with personal care, daily activities, and general well-being. These professionals are exposed to a variety of factors that can contribute to the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiology of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in formal caregivers of rest homes of the elderly in the central-southern regions of Portugal and the associated risk factors.
The sample consisted of 251 formal caregivers from Santas Casas da Misericórdia, of which 228 (90.8%) were female, aged between 21 and 65 years old. The measuring instrument consisted of a digital questionnaire.
The majority of caregivers (186, or 74%) reported experiencing work-related musculoskeletal disorders over the past 12 months, accounting for 374 reported cases. Specifically, 143 (71.9%) caregivers encountered 255 work-related musculoskeletal disorders in this period. The overall injury proportion was 0.72, and the injury rate was 0.12 injuries/1,000 h of work. The most common types of work-related musculoskeletal disorders included low back pain (64 cases, 26.8%), non-specific pain (52 cases, 21.8%), and tendinopathy (51 cases, 21.3%). The primary locations of these disorders were lumbar spine (82 cases, 34.3%), shoulder (42 cases, 17.6%), and cervical spine (26 cases, 10.9%). The leading mechanisms of injury were transfers (164 cases, 35.6%) and repetitive movements (139 cases, 30.2%). Additionally, the female formal caregiver had 3.8 times (95%CI 1.1-12.3; p=0.029) the likelihood of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders compared to their male counterparts.
Data from this study revealed a high work-related musculoskeletal disorders presence in formal caregivers, with women presenting a higher risk of developing injuries. The development of prevention programs is necessary to improve work performance and the health of these professionals.
正式护理人员是为老年人提供医疗保健服务的专业人员，负责协助他们完成个人护理、日常活动及维持总体健康状况等无法独立完成的任务。这些专业人员面临多种可能导致与工作相关的肌肉骨骼疾病的因素。
本研究旨在确定葡萄牙中南部地区养老院正式护理人员中与工作相关的肌肉骨骼疾病的流行病学情况及其相关危险因素。
样本包括来自慈悲之家的251名正式护理人员，其中228名（90.8%）为女性，年龄在21至65岁之间。测量工具为一份数字问卷。
大多数护理人员（186名，占74%）报告在过去12个月中经历过与工作相关的肌肉骨骼疾病，共计374例报告病例。具体而言，143名（71.9%）护理人员在此期间遭遇了255例与工作相关的肌肉骨骼疾病。总体受伤比例为0.72，受伤率为0.12例/1000工时。与工作相关的肌肉骨骼疾病最常见类型包括腰痛（64例，占26.8%）、非特异性疼痛（52例，占21.8%）和肌腱病（51例，占21.3%）。这些疾病的主要发病部位为腰椎（82例，占34.3%）、肩部（42例，占17.6%）和颈椎（26例，占10.9%）。主要受伤机制为搬运（164例，占35.6%）和重复性动作（139例，占30.2%）。此外，与男性正式护理人员相比，女性正式护理人员患与工作相关的肌肉骨骼疾病的可能性高3.8倍（95%置信区间1.1 - 12.3；p = 0.029）。
本研究数据显示正式护理人员中与工作相关的肌肉骨骼疾病发生率较高，女性受伤风险更高。有必要制定预防计划以提高这些专业人员的工作表现和健康水平。
