Association Between Musculoskeletal Pain and Studying Hours Among Medical Students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

IntroductionMusculoskeletal (MSK) disorders are one of the common health issues affecting people of various ages. The main risk factors for musculoskeletal pain are age, obesity, gender, level of education, psychosocial factors, occupational factors, decreased mobility and flexibility, and common factors such as consuming TV and video games. College students, especially medical students, are at a higher risk of these complaints as they have longer hours of studying than most faculties due to the competitiveness of their specialty. The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between musculoskeletal pain and studying hours in medical students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and to increase awareness of this problem. MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022. Data was collected using an online questionnaire. A total of 314 participants were included in this study. The demographic variables, studying hours, studying locations, and postures were collected and analyzed. ResultsA total of 314 medical students were included in this study. The majority were males (71.0%) and, the mean age was 22.05±2.13 years. Most of them were sixth-year students, and most of them reported studying between three and four hours (40.1%), with the most common studying location reported being the students' home or residence (79.3%). The number of daily studying hours had no significant effect on the occurrence of musculoskeletal problems. ConclusionThere was no significant relationship between the number of studying hours and the MSK pain. Clinical trials could be used to evaluate the most effective approaches to alleviate MSK pain in medical students.

Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Pain and Related Factors among Foreign Medical Students of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…A significant number of 273(75.8%) sitting on a chair for the study, 38(10.5%) sitting on the ground, 32(8.9%) used a bed or sofa for study purposes and 17(4.8%) switched their position during the study. This is corroborated by the findings of Abumohssin AG and team, where 68.2% sat upwards on a chair, 7.6% sat on the ground, 7.3% stood up and walked around, 9.6% Lay on the back, 4.1% lay on the front, 2.2% sitting on a bed or a sofa and only 1.0% don't have a specific position [19]. Of 360 respondents, 259(71.9%) opined that they had a travel time of more than one hour per day and around onethird of 101(28.1%) had a travel time of less than one hour daily.…”