Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Dec 28:30:473.
eCollection 2016.

The effect of magnification lenses on reducing musculoskeletal discomfort among dentists

Mashallah Aghilinejad  1 , Elaheh Kabir-Mokamelkhah  2 , Atefeh Talebi  3 , Roghayeh Soleimani  4 , Naser Dehghan  5
Affiliations

The effect of magnification lenses on reducing musculoskeletal discomfort among dentists

Mashallah Aghilinejad et al. Med J Islam Repub Iran. .

Abstract

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are the most important problems in the health workforce. These discomforts cause many working days losses, increase absenteeism from work, and impose annual economic costs. Awkward posture is the most important factor among the risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. This study aimed at implementing an interventional ergonomic program to minimize musculoskeletal disorder among dentists. Methods: This semi- experimental study was conducted on 75 dentists of Milad hospital using a census method. The Nordic Questionnaire was used to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. In this study, the intervention was to apply optical magnification lens whose impact on reducing musculoskeletal disorder had been previously investigated. Corlett and Bishop Scale was used to evaluate musculoskeletal disorders before and after the intervention. Paired t-test was conducted to compare the discomfort intensity before and after the intervention. Results: The results revealed that the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in neck, back, shoulder, and arm were higher than other areas of the body in dentists. There was a significant difference in discomfort intensity of the neck, shoulder, arm, back, elbow, forearm, and the whole body after the ergonomic intervention (p<0.05). Surveys on improving working conditions using the magnification lens revealed that more than 89% of the individuals expressed that the use of the lens increased the ease while working. Conclusion: The present study revealed that the use of optical magnification loupes, because of providing a suitable posture while working, could reduce musculoskeletal disorders in different areas of the body. Thus, we can predict that the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders will be reduced in dentists in a long run if they use optical magnification loupes.

Keywords: Assessing Body Conditions; Corlett and Bishop; Dentists; Ergonomic intervention; Musculoskeletal Disorders.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Bhattacharya A. Costs of occupational musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the United States. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. 2014;44(3):448–54.
    1. Aghilinejad M, Bahrami-Ahmadi A, Kabir-Mokamelkhah E, Sarebanha S, Hosseini HR, Sadeghi Z. The effect of three ergonomics training programs on the prevalence of low-back pain among workers of an Iranian automobile factory: a randomized clinical trial. The international journal of occupational and environmental medicine. 2014;5(2):65–71. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aghilinejad M, Kabir-Mokamelkhah E, Labbafinejad Y, Bahrami-Ahmadi A, Hosseini HR. The role of ergonomic training interventions on decreasing neck and shoulders pain among workers of an Iranian automobile factory: a randomized trial study. Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran. 2015;29:190. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aghilinejad M, Tavakolifard N, Mortazavi SA, Kabir Mokamelkhah E, Sotudehmanesh A, Mortazavi SA. The effect of physical and psychosocial occupational factors on the chronicity of low back pain in the workers of Iranian metal industry: a cohort study. Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran. 2015;29:242. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Staal JB, De Bie RA, Hendriks EJM. Aetiology and management of work-related upper extremity disorders. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology. 2007;21(1):123–33. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources