Of the participatants in this investigation, 27% were
dentists specialised in the disciplines of orthodontics,
orthognathic surgery, endodonty, periodonty,
prosthodontics and paediatric dentistry; 37% were early
phase students from the first three years of training; 23%
were students from the 4
th and 5
th year of training; and
13% were nurses.
Demographic details (Table 1)
About half (57%) of the participants were female
with a mean age of 23,5±5,0 years (range=18-47 yrs.).
Demographic ditails were presented in Table 1.
Back and neck pain frequency
The prevalence of LBP and neck pain among the
participants were 61% and 34%, respectively. The
frequency scores of LBP and neck pain n have been
presented in Figure 1.
Click Here to Zoom |
Figure 1e: Neck pain frequency while looking upwards or
downwards (23%) |
Exprimental parameters
The VPS scores for LBP and neck pain, the NPDI scores
and the RMQ scores have been shown in Table 1.
Comparisons of the experimetal parameters and the
demographic details on the basis of age groups
The participatants were divided into two groups;
above and below the age of 25 years. The cut-off value
was selected as 25 since the more actively working group,
consisting of the specialised dentisits and postgraduate
students, were expected to be in the former group, and
the remaining trainees were expected to be in the latter
group. When compared on this basis of age difference,
only the NPDI scores were found to be significantly
higher (p=0.043) in the group above the age of 25. No
significant differences were observed in the other
experimental parameters.
With respect to the specific demographic details, the
scores on ‘years at work’, ‘daily and weekly work hours’,
‘duration of breaks’, ‘duration of work sitting and
standing’ were signifciantly higher in the group with age
above 25 years (Table 2).
Comparisons of the experimental parameters and the
demographic details on the basis of professional
specialisation
Dentisits were grouped according to the areas of
professional specialisation. No differences were found in
the data on the experimental parameters on the basis of
this grouping or on the basis of the demographic details
(Table 3).
Relationship between the working conditions and
the experimental parameters
Significant inverse correlation was determined
between the SQ data on working while sitting and the
RMQ scores (r=-0.188, p=0.008) and the NPDI scores
(r=-0.271, p=0.000).
Significant positive correlations were determined
between the SQ data on working while standing and the
RMQ scores (r=0.252, p=0.000), and the NPDI scores
(r=0.334, p=0.000) and the VAS scores for neck pain
(r=0.279, p=0.000) and LBP (r=0.200, p = 0.005) (Table 4).
Click Here to Zoom |
Table 4: Relationship between experimental parameters and working conditions |
Relationship of working conditions and frequencies
of LBP and neck pain
Positive correlations were observed in the SQ data
between weekly work hours and the frequency of LBP
while standing (r=0.153, p=0.029) and the frequency of
LBP while walking (r=0.178, p=0.011); and between hours
of daily work and the frequency of LBP while walking
(r=0.159, p=0.023).
Positive correlations were present between the
duration of working while standing and the frequency of
LBP while standing (r=0.310, p=0.000), the frequency of
LBP while walking (r=0.240, p=0.001), the frequency of
LBP while sitting (r=0.171, p=0.018), frequency of neck
stiffness (r=0.241, p=0.001), the frequency of neck pain
when looking upwards and downwards (r=0.308,
p=0.000), and the frequency of neck pain while working
at levels above the head (r=0.258, p=0.000). An inverse
correlation was observed between working while sitting
and the freqency of LBP while sitting (r=-0.146, p=0.041),
(Table 5).
Click Here to Zoom |
Table 5: Relationship between working conditions and frequency of low back pain and neck pain in some positions |
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