Musculoskeletal Pain Among School Teachers in Qassim, Saudi Arabia: Prevalence, Pattern, and Its Risk Factors

Abstract

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are defined as conditions that the environment contributes significantly to / worsens due to work conditions. WMSD comes second in the source of disability in both developed and developing countries. The aim of this study is to measure the prevalence, patterns, and risk factors of musculoskeletal pain disorders among teachers in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among school teachers in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia. A validated online Arabic questionnaire was distributed among teachers living in the Qassim region through multiple social networking applications like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram. The questionnaire consisted of Socio-demographic characteristics, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, and a modified version of the Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening questionnaire. ResultsA total of 503 school teachers were recruited. The proportion of musculoskeletal pain was 91%, and the most common site of pain was back (74.4%), followed by the shoulder (57.5%) and leg (51.5%). The proportion of disabling pain was (80.1%) while the rest was non-disabling pain (19.9%). In the multiple regression model, the predictors of increased disabling pain were back pain, leg pain, neck pain, and those with 51-70 kg weight. In comparison, the predictors of decreased disabling pain were having more than 7 hours of sleep and those with 20-30 classes per week. ConclusionMusculoskeletal pain disorders were widely prevalent among school teachers in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia. Most teachers considered pain as disabling, which negatively affected their attendance. The back, shoulder, and neck were the most painful sites associated with disabling pain.

Long-Term Prevalence and Risk Factors of Musculoskeletal Disorders among the Schoolteachers in Hail, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Surprisingly, the females demonstrated a higher prevalence of MSDs than the males in all the body regions, almost twofold in some body regions, such as the wrists/hands. This is consistent with the finding of previous studies involving the teachers in Saudi Arabia: that the prevalence of MSDs among such teachers is 62.5–91% [ 15 – 21 ].…”

“…The results of the current study also indicate that the lower back (72.91%) and shoulders (66.93%) are the body regions most affected by MSDs among teachers. Similar results were found in previous studies on the prevalence of MSDs among Saudi teachers, indicating a lower back MSD prevalence of up to 74.4% [ 15 – 21 ]. Interestingly, in previous studies in Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of shoulder pain among teachers was found to range from 20.6% to 57.5%, slightly lower than in the current study [ 15 – 21 ].…”

“…Similar results were found in previous studies on the prevalence of MSDs among Saudi teachers, indicating a lower back MSD prevalence of up to 74.4% [ 15 – 21 ]. Interestingly, in previous studies in Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of shoulder pain among teachers was found to range from 20.6% to 57.5%, slightly lower than in the current study [ 15 – 21 ]. This may be explained by the differences in the study samples' demographic characteristics, in the questionnaire used, and in the region from which the study data were collected.…”

“…In Saudi Arabia, previous studies have demonstrated that 62.5–91% of teachers have MSDs [ 15 – 21 ]. In particular, such studies have demonstrated that the prevalence of back pain is 38.1–74.4%, that of shoulder pain is 20.6–57.5%, and that of neck pain is 42.3–58%.…”

“…However, the research in the aforementioned field is lacking. Only a few studies have identified the prevalence and risk factors of MSDs among teachers, and some of them focused on one gender [ 16 – 19 ], excluded many details regarding anatomical sites of MSDs [ 20 , 21 ] or did not specify the gender [ 15 ]. To date, no single study has investigated the long-term prevalence of MSDs in both male and female teachers and their risk factors.…”