Prevalence Of Work Related Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among dental practitioners in Kanpur. India.

ABSTRACT

Abstracts Background: Literature reviews world over have shown a high prevalence of Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among dental practitioners. Objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) among dental practitioners in Kanpur, India. Methodology: A questionnaire based cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among 100 dental practitioners at their respective clinics. Process for responding to items in the questionnaire was explained and the completed questionnaire was collected according to the convenience of practitioners over a maximum period of one week. Chi square test was used for statistical analysis. Level of significance was set at p≤0.05. Results: Majority of the surveyed dental practitioners (86%) were found to be suffering from MSD. The effects of MSD mainly observed were pain (45.3%) and stiffness (40.7%). Most common areas affected by MSD in order of magnitude were neck and upper back (52.3%), lower back (30.2%), hands and fingers (11.6%) and forearm (5.8%). One-third of the dental practitioners were under treatment for the same. Conclusion: High prevalence of MSD exists among our dental practitioners affecting their daily practice. A proper formal educational training in ergonomics is necessary to minimize the work-related musculoskeletal conditions.