ABSTRACT
Objective: Low back pain [LBP] is one of the most common and prevalent work-related conditions. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors associated with LBP in dentists and to analyze the association between individual and occupational characteristics and LBP
Methods: Following ethical approval, 300 dentists from Tehran Iran have voluntarily participated. Different questionnaires were completed to collect personal, occupational characteristics and the prevalence and risk factors of LBP. Visual analogue scale and Oswestry disability questionnaires were used to determine pain intensity and level of functional disability
Results: The results indicated that point, last month, last six month, last year and lifetime prevalence of LBP were 24.6%, 24.9%, 27.7%, 28.1% and 31.4%, respectively. A significant correlation was found between the prevalence of LBP and preventive strategies, general health condition, having an assistant and job satisfaction. Body mass index, age and gender were not significantly correlated with the prevalence of Low back pain
Conclusions: The prevalence of Low back pain in dentists appears to be high. Further studies focusing on the effectiveness of different preventive strategies are recommended
ABSTRACT
Background and Aim: Depression, due to its high prevalence and subsequent effects, is one of the important public health issues. Regarding the specific educational problems in the field of medicine and the importance of medical students' mental health the present study aimed at comparing the prevalence of depression in the first two and the last two years of medical in Birjand University of Medical sciences
Materials and Methods: This descriptive analytical and cross-sectional study was done on 151 medical students in the first two and the last two years in Birjand University of Medical Sciences in 2010. Assessment of depression was done by means of Beck's brief questionnaire in both groups who had been selected in a census. The obtained data was fed into SPSS software [V: 15] and was finally analyzed using by chi[2] and independed Student-t tests at the significant level alpha<0.05
Results: A total of 151 students whose mean age was 22 +/- 2 years participated in the current study. Prevalence of depression in all the cases in all types of the problem i.e. mild, moderate, and severe was 31/8%. Prevalence of depression in the first two years and the last two years was 29.8% and 34.3%, respectively which was not statistically significant. Prevalence of depression in males was more than females, which was not significant either. Besides, no significant relationship was found between prevalence of depression with variables such as age, residence, parental education, housing, and employment status of parents
Conclusion: Apparently, prevalence of depression in medical students in Birjand university of Medical Sciences is high, although studying medicine is not significantly decisive in the occurrence of the problem