Abstract :
To investigate the overall and regional prevalence of musculoskeletal pain disorders (MSPDs) during the last 12 months and the last 7 days, their risk factors, and their impact on the quality of life among school teachers in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted online in Tabuk city using the Arabic version of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Four hundred teachers were randomly selected from randomly selected public schools. The study included all teachers of both sexes who had at least one year of teaching experience in a governmental school. The prevalence of MSPDs was 93 % within the last 12 months. The lower back (71.3%), shoulders (64.3%), and neck (55.3%) were the most frequently affected body regions. The prevalence of MSPDs was 65.8% over the last 7 days, with the lower back (45.5%), shoulders (35.0%), and neck (28.5%) being the most common. Every unit increase in body weight was associated with a 2.161 increased likelihood of pain (AOR=2.161, CI: 1.044 to 4.474). The female sex was significantly associated with a 3.194 increased likelihood of shoulder pain (AOR=3.194, P<0.001). Elementary teaching was significantly associated with a 1.815 increased likelihood of shoulder pain (AOR=1.815, CI:1.040 to 3.168, P=0.036). The female sex was significantly associated with a 1.681 increased likelihood of neck pain (AOR=11.681, CI: 1.083 to 2.608, P=0.021). Elementary teaching was significantly associated with a 1.849 increased likelihood of neck pain (AOR=1.849, CI: 1.091 to 3.132, P=0.022). The MSPDs were highly prevalent among school teachers in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The body regions with the highest prevalence rates of musculoskeletal pain were the lower back, shoulders, and neck. Increased body weight was the only risk factor for low back pain, while female sex and teaching in elementary schools were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of shoulder and neck pain.
