Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Disorders at the Workplaces of Undergraduate Dental Students

Abstract

Objective: To identify the perception of undergraduate dental students with respect of the risk factors present at the study/work place that could contribute to the development of musculoskeletal disorders. Method: A total of 348 undergraduate dental students from Araraquara Dental School - UNESP were evaluated. The Portuguese version of the “Work-related activities that may contribute to job-related pain and/or injury” questionnaire was used. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results: The mean perception of the undergraduates was 5.68 (SD=1.92). The factors with highest mean values were continue working with some kind of pain or lesion (7.49, SD=2.55), bending or twisting the back in an uncomfortable manner (7.39, SD=2.59), working in uncomfortable/inadequate positions (7.27. SD=2.60) and working in the same position for long periods (7.02. SD=2.53). Overall, female students presented higher mean scores of perception than male students. The body parts with highest prevalence of pain were the neck (67.0%) and lower back (65.8%). Conclusion: The students showed perception in relation to the risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders present at the study/work place.