| dc.description.abstract | It is considered that work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are one of the
major occupational health hazards that dental professionals have unveiled.
Although dentistry is a high-risk profession for the development of WMSD, studies
conducted in Sri Lanka were few and far between. This study aimed to identify the
prevalence of WMSD among the dental professionals in the Colombo district. A selfadministered
questionnaire was used to collect the demographic data, work-profile,
and associated factors. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used to
collect the prevalence of WMSD, which was administered to the dental professionals
at National Dental Hospital, Colombo, and the Institute of Oral Health, Maharagama.
The study included questionnaires collected from those who fulfilled the inclusion
and exclusion criteria. The data was analysed using SPSS version 21. The study
shows a mean height, weight, and age of 5.01 ± 0.33 feet, 59.36 ± 10.15 kg, and 38.28
± 9.18 years, respectively. The total working hours per week were 45.68 ± 12.73
hours and the average time spent per patient was 18.62 ± 8.99 minutes. 81.3% of
the participants reported pain and discomfort in at least one part of their body. The
major affected part was the neck, followed by the lower back and shoulders. WMSD
was more prevalent among female dentists. According to the findings, there is a high
prevalence of WMSD among the dental professionals in National Dental Hospital,
Colombo and Institute of Oral Health, Maharagama, and factors such as gender, kind
of dentistry, lack of regular exercise, and lack of use of magnification aids can
influence the prevalence of WMSD. | en_US |
