Prevalence and severity of lower-limb varicose and its related factors in nurses working in Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, Iran, 2020

Background: Varicose vein (VV) is a common problem that mostly occurs in legs. This medical condition can influence the quality of life and working condition of nurses. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence and severity of VV and its related factors in nurses working in Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, Iran, in 2020. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 157 nurses. The participants were recruited in the study using systematic random sampling. The Occupational Sitting and Physical Activity and Aberdeen Varicose Vein Questionnaires were used for data gathering. The frequency of varicose and the mean score of the severity were calculated. The related factors were analyzed using Chi-square, Mann–Whitney, Spearman's correlation, and binominal logistic regression statistical tests. SPSS software version 16 was used for data analysis. Results: The prevalence of VV was 42% (66 nurses), the duration of varicose was 4.4 ± 3.6 years, and its severity score was 32.7 ± 9.5. In bivariate analysis, the female gender (P = 0.015), age (P = 0.002), work experience (P = 0.006), hyperlipidemia (P = 0.017), number of children (P = 0.007), regular exercise (P = 0.001), family history of varicose (P = 0.0001), hours of working overtime (P = 0.018), duration of standing (P = 0.002), walking (P = 0.039), and heavy work (P = 0.038) per day had a significant relation with the prevalence of varicose. In binary logistic regression, family history of varicose (odds ratio = 5.672), number of children (odds ratio = 2.462), and minutes of heavy working during a shift (odds ratio = 1.012) showed a significant relation with VV. No variable showed a significant relation with the severity of varicose. Conclusion: The prevalence of VV in the nurses working in Kashan was high, and many factors showed a significant relation with this problem. Nurses should be informed about preventive measures and treatments for this medical condition.