Comparative Analysis of Musculoskeletal Disorders, Psychosocial Health, and Body Awareness Among Dental Professionals and Students

Abstract

Comparative Analysis of Musculoskeletal Disorders, Psychosocial Health, and Body Awareness Among Dental Professionals and Students

Abstract

Purpose: This study explores the prevalence of these conditions and the role of body awareness in managing them. Material and Methods: 443 participants were divided into three groups: 154 first-grade dental students (Group I), 148 senior dental students (Group II), and 141 working dentists (Group III). The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), Neck Disability Index (NDI), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale (HADS), Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), and Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ) were used. Results: The NDI and BAQ values of Group I were lower according to Group II and III (p< .05). ODI values were higher in Group III. NMQ-neck pain was different between Group I-II and Group I-III (p< .05), and low back pain was different between Group II-III (p= .004). Also, the NHP score of Group III were better than the of Groups I and II. Conclusion: Neck pain is a musculoskeletal problem that should not be ignored in the early academic years, while low back pain tends to occur during later professional practice. As musculoskeletal problems in dentists increase over the years, the simultaneous increase in body awareness is a notable finding. Further studies should explore this relationship in more detail.

Keywords

• dentists
• Students
• dental
• musculoskeletal pain
• body awareness

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