Patient handling and risk for developing persistent low-back pain among female healthcare workers

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of persistent low-back pain (LBP) based on the number of patient-handling activities among female healthcare workers with no LBP and those with sub-chronic LBP at baseline. Method Female healthcare workers in the eldercare services answered a questionnaire about the number of patient-handling activities (10 p

A reduction in sedentary behaviour in obese women during pregnancy reduces neonatal adiposity: the DALI randomised controlled trial

Abstract Aims/hypothesis Offspring of obese women are at increased risk of features of the metabolic syndrome, including obesity and diabetes. Lifestyle intervention in pregnancy might reduce adverse effects of maternal obesity on neonatal adiposity. Methods In the Vitamin D And Lifestyle Intervention for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) Prevention (DALI) lifestyle trial, 436 women with a BMI ≥29 kg/m2 were randomly assigned to counselling on healthy eating (HE), physical activity (PA) or HE&PA, or to usual care (UC). In secondary analyses of the lifestyle trial, intervention effects on neonatal outcomes (head, abdominal, arm and leg circumferences and skinfold thicknesses, estimated fat mass, fat percentage, fat-free mass and cord blood leptin) were assessed using multilevel regression analyses. Mediation of intervention effects by lifestyle and gestational weight gain was assessed. Results Outcomes were available from 334 neonates. A reduction in sum of skinfolds (−1.8 mm; 95% CI −3.5, −0.2; p = 0.03), fat mass (−63 g; 95% CI −124, −2; p = 0.04), fat percentage (−1.2%; 95% CI −2.4%, −0.04%; p = 0.04) and leptin (−3.80 μg/l; 95% CI −7.15, −0.45; p = 0.03) was found in the HE&PA group, and reduced leptin in female neonates in the PA group (−5.79 μg/l; 95% CI −11.43, −0.14; p = 0.05) compared with UC. Reduced sedentary time, but not gestational weight gain, mediated intervention effects on leptin in both the HE&PA and PA groups. Conclusions/interpretation The HE&PA intervention resulted in reduced adiposity in neonates. Reduced sedentary time seemed to drive the intervention effect on cord blood leptin. Implications for future adiposity and diabetes risk of the offspring need to be elucidated. Trial registration ISRCTN70595832

Patient transfers and assistive devices: Prospective cohort study on the risk for occupational back injury among healthcare workers

Objectives This prospective cohort study investigates work-related risk factors for occupational back injury among healthcare workers. Methods The study comprised 5017 female healthcare workers in eldercare from 36 municipalities in Denmark who responded to a baseline and follow-up questionnaire in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Using logistic regression, the odds for occupational back injury (ie, sudden onset episodes) in 2006 from patient transfers in 2005 was modeled. Results In the total study population, 3.9% experienced back injury during follow-up, of which 0.5% were recurrent events. When adjusting for lifestyle (body mass index, leisure-time physical activity, smoking), work-related characteristics (seniority and perceived influence at work), and history of back pain and injury, daily patient transfers increased the risk for back injury (trend, P=0.03): odds ratio (OR) 1.75 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.05-2.93] for 1-2 transfers per day, OR 1.81 (95% CI 1.14-2.85) for 3-10 transfers per day, and OR 1.56 (95% CI 0.96-2.54) for >10 transfers per day, referencing those with <1 patient transfer on average per day. The population attributable fraction of daily patient transfer for back injury was estimated to be 36%. Among those with daily patient transfer (N=3820), using an assistive device decreased the risk for back injury for "often" and "very often" use [OR 0.59 (95% CI 0.36-0.98) and OR 0.62 (95% CI 0.38-1.00), respectively] referencing those who "seldom" use assistive devices. Conclusion Daily patient transfer was associated with increased risk for back injury among healthcare workers. Persistent use of an assistive device was associated with reduced risk for back injury among healthcare workers with daily patient transfers