Abstract
BackgroundThe purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of neck, shoulder, and low-back pain and to examine factors associated with musculoskeletal pain (MSP) among dental students at Ajman University and Ras Al Khaimah College of Dental Sciences in United Arab Emirates (UAE).MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted among dental students using an online questionnaire, which was a modified version of the Standardized Nordic questionnaire, focused on neck, shoulder and low-back pain in the past week and the past year.ResultsA total of two hundred and two dental students (out of 368) responded to the questionnaire. The majority were female 75.2%. The prevalence of MSP in at least one body site in the past week, and in the past year was 48.5 and 68.3% respectively. The factors significantly associated with MSP in at least one body site at any time were having history of trauma (P = 0.009), lack of exercise (P = 0.001), longer clinical sessions (P = 0.000), and higher BMI (P = 0.010).ConclusionThe present study indicates that the prevalence of MSP among dental students in the UAE is high. Careful attention from dental colleges is needed to increase students’ awareness of this problem. This study contributed to better understanding of MSP among dental professionals.
Highlights
The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of neck, shoulder, and low-back pain and to examine factors associated with musculoskeletal pain (MSP) among dental students at Ajman University and Ras Al Khaimah College of Dental Sciences in United Arab Emirates (UAE)
A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate dental students in two main dental colleges in the United Arab Emirates, namely, Ajman University (AU) and Ras Al- Khaimah College of Dental Sciences (RAKCODS)
Similar studies have been conducted in Malaysia [9] and Czech Republic [10]; the characteristics of Ajman University students are very distinctive because Ajman University is the most diverse institute of higher education in the region; it is home to students from more than 70 nationalities, coming with totally different cultural backgrounds, which might have an impact on their musculoskeletal symptoms
Summary
The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of neck, shoulder, and low-back pain and to examine factors associated with musculoskeletal pain (MSP) among dental students at Ajman University and Ras Al Khaimah College of Dental Sciences in United Arab Emirates (UAE). The nature of dental work, which includes repetitive movement, long work sessions and awkward static postures, contributes to musculoskeletal problems amongst dentists [1]. The costs of these problems are substantial, both in terms of money and in terms of work time lost [4]; these musculoskeletal problems may result in lower work productivity, have an adverse effect on the quality of work and efficiency, lead to a shortened working lifespan, and contribute to occupational disability, which constitute a major health challenge for individual and healthcare system around the world [5, 6]. Identifying factors associated with musculoskeletal problems in the dental workplace is of high importance [8]
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