Musculoskeletal pain and physical workload among dental students

• Type: Chapter or Part of a Book
• Date: 2016

Authors

Vítor Leal (Author) FEUP; Pinho, ME (Author) Other; Vaz, M (Author) Other; Reis Campos, J (Author) Other

Book

Title: Occupational Safety and Hygiene VI

Pages: 191-195

ISBN: 9781351008884

Electronic ISBN: 978-1-315-62896-7

Publisher: CRC Press

Indexing

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00P-MDK

Abstract (EN): Musculoskeletal pain is one of the major occupational health problems that affect oral healthcare providers. This study aims to investigate the relationship between social-demographic characteristics, work habits and physical workload with musculoskeletal pain amongst a population of dental students. Results indicated that students reported high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in the preceding 12 months and the common affected areas were the lower back (70.2%), neck (68.1%), upper back (57.4%), shoulders (48.9%) and wrists/hands (34.0%). The high prevalence of neck pain on the cohort of participants was significantly associated with awkward and strenuous working positions. This study suggests that preventive strategies should be implemented as early as possible during dental school. These should focus on ergonomic measures to improve working posture, breaks during work hours to minimize muscular load and physical activity to reduce intensity of pain. © 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, London, UK.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific