Prevalence of postural musculoskeletal symptoms among dental students in United Arab Emirates.
Abstract Background The main purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of neck, shoulder, and low-back pain and to explore factors associated with musculoskeletal pain (MSP) among dental students at Ajman University and Ras Al Khaimah College of Dental Sciences in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Method This cross-sectional study was conducted among dental students using an online questionnaire, which was a modified version of the Standardized Nordic questionnaire, focused on neck, shoulder and low-back pain in the past week and the past year. Results Two hundred and two students (out of 368) responded to the questionnaire. The prevalence of MSP in at least one body site in the past week, and in the past year was 48.5% and 68.3% respectively. Factors significantly associated with MSP in at least one body site at any time were having history of trauma (P = 0.009), lack of exercise (P = 0.001), longer clinical sessions (P = 0.000), and higher BMI (P = 0.010). Conclusion The prevalence of MSP among dental students in the UAE is high. Careful attention from dental colleges is needed to increase students’ awareness of this problem. This study contributed to better understanding of MSP among dental professionals.