Prevalence of Hand, Finger, and Wrist Musculoskeletal Problems in Keyboard Instrumentalists: The University of North Texas Musician Health Survey
Musculoskeletal problems are considered significant health factors for performing artists, especially instrumentalists. Although numerous studies exist that document the extent to which musicians experience these problems, serious consideration has not been given to musicians who play the keyboard, or the type of music played by each instrumentalist. Furthermore, although the Internet is an emerging tool for research, epidemiologists have been surprisingly slow in adapting to this novel way to conduct surveys. Using data derived from the University of North Texas Musician Health Survey (UNT-MHS) conducted over the Internet, this study assessed the prevalence of upper-extremity musculoskeletal problems among 455 keyboard instrumentalists and the association with musician type, daily playing time, gender, and age. Age and gender were found to be significant risk factors, while musician type and daily playing time did not show statistical significance.