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.