Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorder Prevalence by Body Area Among Nurses in Europe: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Nurses are highly exposed to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Global prevalence exceeds 80%, and several body areas are equally at risk. Numerous studies have assessed the exposure in many countries, but few have provided an overview by continent. The aim of this study was to propose a literature review and meta-analysis to investigate the overall and body area prevalence of WMSDs among nurses in Europe. Methods: A systematic review and a meta-analysis were conducted between September and November 2024. Five databases were scanned without a date limit: ScienceDirect, PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar, Science.gov, and Mendeley. The article selection, review, critical appraisal, and data extraction were performed by two authors independently. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was used for reporting the search results. Results: Among the 15,751 unique identified records, 12 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included for data extraction. The studies reported a total of 5153 nurses in Europe. High heterogeneity (Cochran's Q test and I² statistic) was observed between studies. The results of the meta-analysis based on the random-effects model showed an overall prevalence of 87.8% (95% CI: 83.3-92.2%). The highest prevalence was found for lower back 61.4% (95% CI: 55.1-67.7%), neck 49.9% (95% CI: 42.9-56.8%), and upper back 46.3% (95% CI: 42.4-50.2%). Conclusions: Nurses are highly exposed to WMSDs, with a prevalence of over 30% for three-quarters of body areas. Due to the multitude of risk factors associated with nurses' work, the development of recommendations is a complex multifactorial issue, requiring the exploration of different strategies to reduce the prevalence of MSDs in nurses.