Strain-based work-to-family conflict as a predictor of lumbar and cervical pain in Tunisian nursing staff

Objective. This study aimed to examine the association of the different dimensions and forms of work-family conflict with the occurrence of neck and lower back pain (LBP) in Tunisian nurses. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study on nurses assigned to a district hospital in Tunisia. The work-family interface was assessed with the work-family conflict scale of Carlson et al. Psychosocial and organizational constraints at work were assessed through the nursing work index - extended organization in its specific version designed for nurses. Assessment of neck and lumbar pain was carried out with the standardized Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. Results. Seventy-two nurses participated in the present study (participation rate = 100%) with a mean age of 42.38 +/- 10.85 years. Binary logistic regression analyses retained strain-based work-to-family conflict as a significant determinant of both LBP (p < 10(-3); odds ratio [OR] = 5.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] [2.1, 11.7]) and neck pain (p = 0.001; OR = 6.8; 95% CI [2.13, 22]). Conclusions. Strain-based work-to-family conflict was found to predict lumbar and cervical pain more than the other types of conflict in nursing staff. Thus, reducing strain in health-care settings should be a central component of the preventive approach of musculoskeletal disorders in nursing staff.