Low back pain, occupational stress, and physical fitness in intensive care nursing professionals.

OBJECTIVES: to assess the association between low back pain, occupational stress, and physical fitness in intensive care nursing professionals. METHODS: quantitative cross-sectional study with convenience sampling, including sociodemographic data, occupational stress, and physical fitness (cardiorespiratory capacity, body composition, flexibility, strength, and muscle endurance). Low back pain was assessed using disability, duration, and frequency scales. RESULTS: among 83 intensive care nursing professionals, 72.3% reported low back pain in the past year, and 50.6% presented with moderate to high occupational stress. Low back pain was associated with workload and trunk flexor strength. The other physical fitness variables did not vary among groups. Functional disability was similar among individuals with and without low back pain. CONCLUSIONS: trunk flexor strength was associated with a lower low back pain incidence in intensive care nursing professionals. Vigorous physical activity showed a tendency towards association, while occupational stress did not show a relationship with low back pain.