The Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Ergonomic Risk Factors in Dental Students
Abstract
Background: In the dental profession, continuous dynamic and static activities cause musculoskeletal problems. This complication is very common among dentists worldwide.
Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate musculoskeletal problems and the amount of observance of ergonomic principals in Kashan dental students in 2020.
Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, dental students of Kashan University of Medical Sciences were selected and a personal-occupational characteristics questionnaire was completed. To evaluate the ergonomic condition, the Rapid Entire Body Assessment technique was used for evaluations of musculoskeletal conditions, as well.Then, the data were analyzed.
Results and Discussion: In our study on 62 dental students, 12.9% had been referred to a specialist in the past year due to musculoskeletal disorders. In addition, 70.1% of the studied students felt pain and discomfort in the neck area during the last week, and the areas of right shoulder (59.7%), waist (59.7%), and back (48.4%) were next. According to the final Rapid Entire Body Assessment score, in terms of ergonomic hazards at work, 87.1% of students were at medium risk level and 12.9% were at high risk level. In addition, in this study, it was observed that the presence of pain and discomfort in the back and legs among female students is significantly more than male students (p<0.05). In addition, in this study, the presence of pain and discomfort in the knee area among students working in the fixed prosthesis department was significantly fewer than other departments (p=0.049).
Conclusions: The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was high in dental students participating in the study and the highest frequency was observed in the neck area. In addition, the level of ergonomic risks and the possibility of musculoskeletal disorders were moderate and high. In order to teach ergonomic principles while working, corrective measures seem necessary.