Musculoskeletal Pain Symptoms Among Health Science Undergraduates at MNU: Prevalence and Associated Factors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62338/b3qfv792Keywords:
Musculoskeletal Pain Symptoms, Health Science Education, Risk Factors, Occupational HealthAbstract
Musculoskeletal pain symptoms (MPS) are increasingly common in both occupational and educational settings. University students, particularly those enrolled in health science programs, face multiple risk factors that elevate their likelihood of developing MPS. These include long hours of computer use, prolonged sitting, high academic demands, and physically demanding clinical training. Considering the rising global prevalence of MPS, this study aimed to investigate the impact of MPS on health science students at the Maldives National University and to identify associated risk factors. Using stratified sampling, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among undergraduate health science students from MNU’s Malé campuses. Data was collected from students through a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. Chi-square tests were used to examine the associations between selected variables and 12-month MPS prevalence, with a significance threshold of p < .05. Among the 283 participants who completed the survey, 92.57% reported experiencing MPS in at least one body region during the past year. Among those affected, 66.23% indicated that the pain had interfered with their daily tasks. Lower back pain (18.5%) was the most reported, followed by neck (16.99%) and upper back pain (14.5%). MPS was significantly associated with increased stress, heavy physical workload at home, high screen time, and prolonged sitting. The study highlights an urgent need for preventive strategies addressing physical and psychological contributors to MPS among students. Interventions should include early education, ergonomic awareness, stress management, and promotion of healthy routines to reduce the long-term burden of MPS on future healthcare professionals
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