Prevalence of upper extremity symptoms and disorders among dental and dental hygiene students

Autor: Robert A. Werner, Alfred Franzblau, Nancy Gell, Curt Hamann, Pamela A. Rodgers, Timothy J. Caruso, Frank Perry, Courtney Lamb, Shirley Beaver, David Hinkamp, Kathy Eklund, Christine P. Klausner
Rok vydání: 2005
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of the California Dental Association. 33(2)
ISSN: 1043-2256
Popis: Upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders are common among dental professionals. The natural history of these disorders is not well-understood. These disorders are more common in older workers, but the prevalence among younger workers has not been well-studied.The objective of this study was to determine if dental/dental hygiene students had a similar prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders compared to age-matched clerical workers. We hypothesize students will have a lower prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders compared to clerical workers.This was a cross-sectional design.Dental and dental hygiene students from three schools were compared to clerical workers from three locations (an insurance company and two data processing plants).There were 343 dental and dental hygiene students and 164 age-matched clerical workers.Regional discomfort was the primary outcome. The secondary health outcomes were diagnoses of carpal tunnel syndrome and upper extremity tendinitis.Clerical workers had a higher prevalence of hand symptoms (62 percent vs. 20 percent), elbow symptoms (34 percent vs. 6 percent) and shoulder/neck symptoms (48 percent vs. 16 percent) and a higher prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (2.5 percent vs. .6 percent) and upper extremity tendinitis (12 percent vs. 5 percent). The clerical workers were more obese, smoked more, exercised less frequently, and had lower educational levels and less control of their work environment.Dental and dental hygiene students have a very low prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders. A longitudinal study is necessary to evaluate ergonomic and personal risk factors.
Databáze: OpenAIRE