فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

Background: Varicose veins are a vascular disease that can lead to serious complications for the cardiovascular system due to damage to the veins. This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to identify the prevalence of varicose veins among nurses and to determine the most influential risk factors.Methods: A non-probability (purposive) sample of 151 nurses from critical care units was selected. A questionnaire was used to conduct interviews and gather data, which were then subjected to both inferential and descriptive statistical analysis.Results: Most participants were aged (22–27) years 51.7%. The sample was predominantly male (88) nurses 58.3%, and years of experience ranged from (1–25) years, with (1–5) years being the most common 60.9%. Participants had nearly equal average standing hours. Most nurses had normal weight, numbering (83) representing a percentage of 55%, were non-smokers (114) 75.5%, and had no family history of varicose veins (111) nurses, representing a percentage of 73.5%. Varicose vein prevalence among critical care nurses was 17.9%. Advanced age, female gender, and positive family history were significant risk factors, while varicose veins showed no relationship with body mass index, working hours, or smoking, indicating further investigation is needed.Conclusion: The study found that influential factors affecting nurses working in critical care units of South-Iraqi hospitals include age, gender, and family history, while other factors such as body mass index, working hours, and smoking were not found to have a significant impact.