Work related neck pain in Iranian dentists: An epidemiological study

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for neck pain in dentists of Tehran province and to analyze the association of neck pain with individual and occupational characteristics. DESIGN Following ethical approval, a cross sectional study was conducted on 300 randomly selected dentists at Tehran city. Different questionnaires were used to collect personal and occupational characteristics as well as the prevalence and risk factors of neck pain. The Iranian validated version of visual analogue scale and neck disability questionnaires were also used to assess the pain intensity and functional disability of neck, respectively. RESULTS Point, last month, last year and lifetime prevalence of neck pain were 19.3%, 27.3%, 29.9% and 34.7%, respectively. The prevalence of neck pain was significantly correlated with regular exercise, general health condition and having an assistant (P< 0.05 in all instances) and was not significantly correlated with body mass index, age and gender. Prolonged sitting, awkward postures and repeated movements were the most significant aggravating factors. CONCLUSIONS Results indicated that the prevalence of neck pain in dentists appears to be high. Therefore, further studies on different preventive strategies in dentists' population seem necessary.