Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders among General and Technical Secondary School Students in Egypt

Abstract

(1) Background: Children spend a lot of time within schools. The school setting generally has many ergonomic hazards and reinforced behavior patterns which put children at greater risk of environmental hazards than adults during their critical developmental stages. (2) Objective: The aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and detect spinal deformities amongst general and technical secondary school students. (3) Methods: A total of 418 students from the second grade of secondary school in Shaquira governorate, Egypt participated in this cross-sectional study. Each student in the study was screened via Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and had their upper limb posture measured via RULA (Rapid Upper Limb assessment), and the deviation in their thoracic curve was measured using a scoliometer. (4) Results: There was a prevalence of MSDs amongst students as there were 69.7% of general school students and 83.8% of the technical school students suffering from MSDs with a statistically significant difference between both technical and general school students in RULA score and musculoskeletal complaints, whereas there were non-statistical differences in the scoliometer scale in both general and technical education students. (5) Conclusions: Musculoskeletal problems are prevalent among Egyptian secondary school students, with higher prevalence between technical school students. Therefore, preventive measures and strategies are recommended to overcome the future complications of these musculoskeletal disorders.

Effects of Whole-Body Stretching Exercise during Lunch Break for Reducing Musculoskeletal Pain and Physical Exertion among Healthcare Professionals

“…Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) among healthcare professionals are prevalent and are costly public health problems across the globe [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. WRMSDs typically manifest in the neck, lower back, and shoulder regions.…”

hygienic issues of using mobile electronic devices

“…For children, foreign scientists have proposed a comprehensive approach that allows factoring in the influence of all sources of EMFs on the body. For the purpose, they used spot and personal (portable) exposure meters that registered RF EMFs affecting children at school, at home, on playgrounds [29].…”

“…The prolonged use of various electronic gadgets by schoolchildren and students both when preparing for lessons and training sessions and in their spare time results in postural distortion due to incorrect working posture. Poor working posture when reading or writing for a long time can lead to the lower back pain, paravertebral muscle fatigue, changes in biomechanics and impaired function of the spine [28,29].…”