Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among dental students: a cross-sectional study integrating the pain adaptation model

Aim: This study aimed to assess the prevalence, anatomical distribution, and contributing biological and psychosocial factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among dental students. Subject and methods: We used the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) to determine the prevalence and anatomical distribution of WMSDs, integrating biological and psychosocial variables, including stress, anxiety, and quality of life levels measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7), and World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief Form (WHOQOL-Bref), respectively. We used chi-square tests to analyze differences between the prevalences of independent groups, and binary logistic regression models to identify potential predictors among sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics. Results: A total of 239 students were contacted to participate and 123 answered the questionnaire, setting the response rate at 51.5%. We excluded 18 for being over 30 years old and 25 for having diagnosed and ongoing musculoskeletal injuries, leaving 80 participants. They were 77.5% women and 22.5% men with 22.69 ± 1.63 years, 1.67 ± 0.08 m, 60.44 ± 10.94 kg and a body mass index (BMI) of 21.46 ± 2.61 kg/m². A total of 91.3% of the participants reported symptoms in at least one body region in the past year. The neck and lower back (63.8%) were the most frequently affected areas, followed by 40% in the shoulders and 31% in the wrists/hands. Over the period of a week, 23.8% experienced symptoms in the lower back, 21.3% in the cervical region, and 15% in both shoulders and wrists/hands. Additionally, male students are 90% more likely to develop WMSDs in the shoulders, and students with anxiety are 49% more prone to refer WMSDs in lower back region. Conclusion: High WMSDs rates were observed in dental students in neck, low back, and shoulders. Male students and those with increased levels of anxiety were more likely to develop WMSDs. Further investigation focused on the motor-behavior adaptations and psychosocial determinants underpinning these findings is fundamental to fully understand them, allowing the development and implementation of strategies to prevent and manage WMSDs in dental students.