Khurram Parvez Sardar, Rida Fatima Khan, Kunal Kumar, Abeeha Batool Zaidi.
Work-related Musculoskeletal Pain Among Dental Students At Dow University Of Health Sciences, Karachi.
J Pak Dent Assoc Jan ;23(3):117-21.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to evaluate incidence of work-related musculoskeletal pain among dental students of Dow University of Health and Sciences, Karachi. METHODOLOGY: The study design was Cross-sectional. 290 students of 3rd year, 4th year and house officers were included in the study by convenient sampling method. The response rate was 90.6%. Data was gathered through self-compiled questionnaire and it consisted of demographic variables, pain related variables, sites of pain, interference with clinical work and awareness of appropriate working positions and postures. SPSS version 16 was used for statistical analysis. Chi-square test was applied between the presence of musculoskeletal pain, pain-related variables and the locations of pain. P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Majority (76.2%) of students reported to have musculoskeletal pain, out of which back pain was experienced by 32.1% and neck pain by 32.4%. .Although 82.9% dental students knew the correct working posture, only 43.8% dental students’ worked corresponding to the guided working positions. Our results suggest a significant association between presences of musculoskeletal pain, pain-related variables and the locations of pain (p<0.05). We also found an insignificant association between operating postures and position of practitioner and the presences of musculoskeletal pain. (p=0.10). CONCLUSIONS : Most of the dental students were suffering from musculoskeletal pain in spite of being knowledgeable about correct work related posture.

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