Prevalence of causative factors for musculoskeletal disorders and their awareness amongst dental surgeons

ABSTRACT

Musculoskeletal disorders [MSD] are a significant occupational health problem in dentists the causes of which are complex and diverse. The aim of this study was to find the level of awareness and prevalence of causative factors of MSD's amongst Dental Surgeons. A cross-sectional survey on 140 dentists of the University College Of Dentistry was conducted from November 2013-January 2014. A 10 item questionnaire was used. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20, chi square test was applied with a cut-off value of 0.05. Out of 140 subjects 67.1% were familiar with MSD. A total of 99[70.7%] reported pain, [46.4% mild pain, 48.6% moderate pain, 5.1% severe pain]. Most common site of pain reported was back/ waist [64.5%] followed by neck/shoulder 33.3%. A strong correlation was found between ill-posture and pain [p-value 0.004]. it is recommended that ergonomic strategies should be used for preventing MSD