MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AMONG THE ORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS OF A DISTRICT IN NEPAL

Abstract

Background: Musculoskeletal disorder is a potential occupational danger in dental profession. The study aimed to determine the current status of musculoskeletal disorders and the factors affecting the status of musculoskeletal disorders among the oral health professionals of a district in Nepal.

Methods: A cross-sectional, quantitative study was carried out among 102 oral health professionals working in different clinics/hospitals of Chitwan. Data were collected from 10th July to 5th August, 2021 and, analyzed with SPSS version 17. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were carried out to find out the association between various variables. Binary logistic regression analyses were done for the associated variables. Significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results: The study showed that 54.9% (44.7-64.8 at 95% Confidence Interval) of the oral health professionals had some form of musculoskeletal disorders, with the most common sites being neck (22.3%) and lower back (21.9%). Compared to the oral health professionals working in dentist-owned clinics, the odds of getting musculoskeletal disorders was 3.07 times higher among those working in non-dentist owned clinics, and 7.23 times higher among those working in government hospitals.

Conclusions: The study finds that neck and lower back are the most common areas of MSDs among the OHPs. It also demands further researches in order to probe into the reasons behind the higher susceptibility of MSDs among the OHPs working in non-dentist owned clinics and government hospitals as compared to those working in dentist-owned private clinics and hospitals.