Assessment of risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the neck in dental hygienists using video recording.
10.11149/jkaoh.2017.41.4.255
- Author:
Ka Yeon LEE
1
;
Jin Ho CHUN
Author Information
1. Department of Dental Hygiene, Ulsan College, Ulsan, Korea. kaayeen@hanmail.net
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Dental hygienist;
Musculoskeletal disorder;
Neck;
Video recording
- MeSH:
Dental Hygienists*;
Humans;
Logistic Models;
Neck*;
Posture;
Prevalence;
Risk Factors*;
Spine;
Video Recording*
- From:Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health
2017;41(4):255-261
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: Work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) of the neck is a frequent health problem in dental hygienists. This study was conducted to assess the risk factors of neck musculoskeletal disorder (neck MSD) using video recording. METHODS: The subjects were 50 currently working dental hygienists who agreed to participate in this study. A standardized questionnaire about WMSD (NIOSH/KOSHA) was distributed and video recording for neck posture and motion was performed between August and October 2012. The video recording was performed for 5 minutes using the reflective marker attachment on the 7th cervical vertebra. Major observation points included neck flexion angle, number of flexions, and length of static work when performing scaling and prosthetic procedures. Data were analyzed using MedCalc (ver 12.3.0, Mariakerke, Belgium), and the risk factors for neck MSD were assessed using simple and multiple variate analysis. RESULTS: The mean age and work experience of the subjects were 27.9 years and 5 years respectively. The prevalence of neck MSD symptoms that met NIOSH/KOSHA's criteria was 48%. The mean angle of neck flexion was 54.6°, mean maximum angle of flexion was 64.8°, and the mean time of static posture was 4.8 minutes during the 5 minutes recording interval. In the multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted by career, daily work time, and posture, the prevalence of neck MSD symptoms increased by 1.47 times (95% CI=0.24–9.48) with flexion >45°, and by 4.90 times (95% CI=0.91–26.4) when a static posture was preserved for >4.8 minutes CONCLUSIONS: The measured angle of flexion and time of preserved static posture identified further serious than expected. Therefore, to reduce the risk of neck MSD, reasonable and practically applicable guidelines to correct neck bending and tilting, especially to relax the long static posture associated with flexion, should be prepared.
