Investigating the Effect of Educational Intervention on Musculoskeletal Disorders in Dentists

Abstract

Background and Objective: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are highly common and considered as the main factor leading to lost work time, increased costs, and hazards of manual labour work. Dentists are predisposed to work-related MSDs due to their job and methods of service delivery. Surveys have indicated that ergonomic design of job equipment and environment, proper posture, regular rest breaks and stretching exercises between patients can positively effect on the musculoskeletal system of dentists, reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of educational intervention on musculoskeletal disorders in dentists who work in private dental clinics in Tehran, Iran during 2016. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out on 84 dentists working in private dental clinics in Tehran using before-after method. The data were gathered using demographic characteristics questionnaire and standardized Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ). Educational intervention was implemented distributing educational pamphlets among all participants. Data were re-measured 2 months after educational intervention using CMDQ. Data and changes in them were tested before and after educational intervention using SPSS 22 Software, Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, McNemar test, and Linear Regression test.

Education as a strategy for managing occupational-related musculoskeletal pain: a scoping review

“…Of the 19 studies included, 10 studies were randomised controlled trials 25–34. Eight studies used a prospective design where educational management strategies were tested using one35–39 or two groups 40–42. One study43 used a mixed-methods design to assess the individual workers’ experience of the educational intervention.…”

“…The content of the educational set-up and content varied between the included studies where three themes for methods of delivery emerged: written material in a hard copy (eg, pamphlet or book),25 27 29 32–34 36 41 43 electronic delivery29 30 38 39 or a teacher–student setting (eg, lecture or face-to-face teaching/mentoring) 25 26 28 31 35 37 40 42. Some of these included studies employed a mixed approach where education was supplemented by a more active approach (see Potential influence of delivery method section and table 2).…”

“…The included studies were heterogeneous with regards to study design. Some studies lacked comparators35–39 and others focused on improving physiological parameters such as aerobic capacity28 31 and strength 26. In general, a map of the existing evidence indicates that an educational intervention may positively influence musculoskeletal pain in the workplace, especially when including factors such as absence from work26 29 33 40 41 and cost–benefits of staying at work despite pain 37 39 41.…”

“…In general, a map of the existing evidence indicates that an educational intervention may positively influence musculoskeletal pain in the workplace, especially when including factors such as absence from work26 29 33 40 41 and cost–benefits of staying at work despite pain 37 39 41. However, it needs to be acknowledged that favourable findings came from studies lacking a comparator 35–39. Also, in some of the studies, the educational arm was considered the control condition where the focus was on improving physiological parameters such as aerobic capacity28 31 and strength26 suggesting that the power to detect significant changes in the educational arm might have been insufficient.…”

“…It is important to illustrate that findings favouring an educational intervention mainly came from non-randomised studies 36–39 42 43. This may indicate that any intervention aimed at improving MSK pain in employees (in this case education) outperformed the option of doing nothing at all.…”