Prevalence and ergonomic risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders in dental students and relation whit the physical condition as a fitting trial: A cross-sectional
Somayeh Hekmatfar, Sajjad Eshkandaripour, Roghayeh Esmaili, Amin Babaei Pouya, Mohsen Poursadeghiyan, Karim JafariBACKGROUND:
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) hold significant relevance for dental professionals. Dentists frequently adopt various physical postures during work, necessitating high precision and focus. However, they are also susceptible to improper postures, which increases their risk of developing MSDs. This research aimed at a health promotion approach by examining the prevalence of MSDs among dental students and exploring their correlation with demographic factors and the physical conditions of these students.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
This fitting trial study was designed as a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study. 105 dental students from Ardabil University of Medical Sciences participated and were selected through a convenience sampling. The participants were categorized into two groups: those in semesters 7 and 8 without clinical practice, and those in semesters 11 and 12 with clinical practice. The demographic essential details collect such as age, gender, marital status, work activities outside of official h, daily working h, and the type of exercise. The standard Nordic questionnaire was employed to assess the presence of MSDs, while the rapid entire body assessment (REBA) technique was utilized to evaluate physical conditions. Data analysis was conducted using Chi-square, Mann–Whitney
RESULTS:
The study revealed that the waist region exhibited the highest prevalence of MSDs among dental students, with 67.7% reporting issues in the past 12 months and 45.8% in the past week. Neck pain was also prevalent, affecting 58.1% of students over the past year and 38.1% in the last week, leading12.4% of participants to reduce or cease their work activities. MSDs were influenced by factors such as academic semester, age, gender, marital status, work activities, and physical activity levels. Notably, gender, age, and sports activity demonstrated significant differences in REBA scores.
CONCLUSION:
The results of this study indicate a moderate prevalence of MSDs among dental students, influenced by gender, age, and physical activity levels. The findings underscore the necessity for enhanced focus on education of ergonomics, both theoretically and practically, as a part of the dental educational curriculum before the initiation of fieldwork.