Self-reported occupational health of general dental practitioners
Autor: | J T Newton, Alison M. Rich, William Murray Thomson, Kate C Morgaine, Kathryn M.S. Ayers |
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Rok vydání: | 2009 |
Předmět: |
Adult
Male Workplace bullying medicine.medical_specialty Shoulders Dentists Physical fitness Psychological intervention Hand Dermatoses Occupational safety and health Occupational medicine medicine Humans Musculoskeletal Diseases Sweden Response rate (survey) business.industry Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Middle Aged Health Surveys Occupational Diseases Dermatitis Occupational Workforce Physical therapy Female business Attitude to Health |
Zdroj: | Occupational Medicine. 59:142-148 |
ISSN: | 1471-8405 0962-7480 |
DOI: | 10.1093/occmed/kqp004 |
Popis: | Background Limited information is available regarding the occupational health status of dentists (particularly in New Zealand), although previous research suggests that stress, hand dermatoses and musculoskeletal symptoms are common. Aims To determine the occupational health status of New Zealand dentists. Methods A nationwide postal survey of a representative sample of 750 dentists. Results There was a response rate of 77%. Most dentists (71%) reported their general health as very good or excellent; 43% rated their physical fitness as excellent or very good and 64% were happy and interested in life. Workplace bullying had been experienced by 19% and was higher for female and employee dentists and 29% had experienced a violent or abusive incident at work. Almost half of the sample (47%) had experienced at least one dermatitis-type condition in the previous 12 months. The most commonly reported sites for musculoskeletal problems experienced in the previous year were the neck (59%), lower back (57%) and shoulders (45%). Women had a higher prevalence of several occupational health problems, but were more satisfied with their overall health than male dentists. Conclusions The majority of dentists had good general health, but physical fitness levels were not ideal. The prevalence of hand dermatoses and musculoskeletal problems are high and impact significantly on dentists' daily lives. Interventions such as reducing weight and training in optimal working methods to reduce musculoskeletal problems and injuries (such as eye or needlestick incidents) might improve the health of this workforce but further research is required. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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