Gender-Specific Risk of MSDs in Dentists: The Impact of Work Posture

Introduction: Ergonomic positioning, which is important for efficient and safe work engagement, has a significant impact on the prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) among dentists. Due to their work posture, both male and female dentists are susceptible to diseases in the field of oral health. This study aimed to explore the correlation between gender-specific working posture among dentists and the incidence of MSDs. Material and Method: This research is an analytical observational study with a cross-sectional approach. There was 111 respondents consisting of 56 male dentists and 55 female dentists. This study was conducted in Surabaya, Indonesia, at area of community health center. Working Posture was evaluated using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and MSDs via the Nordic Body Map (NBM). SPSS Statistics Standards 22 was used to analyze the data. Reliability and validity analysis was carried out. The correlation test was performed using the Spearman test and the Mann-Whitney test was utilized to compare location of musculoskeletal disorders complaints in male and female dentists. Results: There was a significant correlation (r=0.835, p<0.05) between body posture and MSD, with female dentists showing a higher susceptibility to MSD. Inappropriate work posture resulted in high MSDs complaints. The age of the respondents had a significant impact on the complaints. Conclusions: Female have moderate to high complaints, while most male report low complaints. Given the smaller muscle volume in female, gender-adapted ergonomic interventions are recommended to reduce the risk of MSDs.