Musculoskeletal disorders associated with depression and psychosocial risk factors among female teachers in riyadh region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Teachers have the highest musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) rates worldwide because of stressful working conditions. MSD is likely to be linked to psychosocial elements such as need for social help, loss of job control, performance concerns, repetitive work, and feeling burdened and stressed. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and anatomical distribution of MSDs and the associated psychosocial risk factors, primarily depression, among female teachers in the Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia. Settings and Design: An observational, quantitative, cross-sectional study was done. Material and Methods: Data was collected from female teachers in Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia, via a questionnaire. All the participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Results: Of the 372 questionnaire responses obtained from the teachers, the prevalence of depression was 65.6% and of MSD was 86%. The main site of pain was the neck (62.9%), followed by the lower back (53.8%). There was a significant relationship between the prevalence of MSD and the prevalence of depression. MSD occurred in 64.1% of participants without depression, in 95.9% of those with mild depression, and in 100% of those with more severe depression ( P ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: A high prevalence of MSD pain was found among the female teachers, especially among older women, those teaching at elementary schools, and those with a higher number of pregnancies. The coexistence of MSD and depression affects the work ability of the teachers and reduces their efficiency.

Prevalence of low back pain and disability among secondary school teacher in the eastern province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional analytical study

“…As predicted, our study found that the greater the number of classes, the greater the LBP risk of low back pain. This study largely confirms the findings of earlier research in this field relating the number of classes to the incidence of low back pain, whether in national or worldwide studies (4,6,13,14,28,35). This result might be explained by the prolonged standing or sitting during teaching classes, which could be considered an aggravation factor; while dealing with students during class, teachers often require physical effort or the maintenance of particular postures for an extended period of time just to be on the same level as those students, such as kneeling or bending down when interacting with them (18, 31).…”

“…Several factors may have influenced the teachers' stress. Increased workload, more classes dealing with young adolescents' emotional and behavioral issues, and loss of social support are just a few of the challenges teachers face (28,35). Therefore, it is important to identify potential workplace issues that contribute to teachers' stress.…”

Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders among United Arab Emirates Schoolteachers: An Examination of Physical Activity

“…When examining the prevalence of WMSDs in different body segments, the neck area stands out as the most affected among schoolteachers in the UAE, with a prevalence rate of 74.3% (Graph 5). This nding is consistent with several other studies and can be attributed to prolonged "head down" positions during activities such as reading, lesson preparation, and grading, as well as the use of neck extension postures when writing on the board[9,10,11]. Poor posture, prolonged sitting or standing, and repetitive movements also contribute to neck pain in teachers.…”