title: Neck and upper back pain among eye care professionals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ophthalmologists and optometrists have reported a higher prevalence of neck, hand/wrist and lower back pain than family medicine physicians. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders have not previously been studied in Saudi eye care professionals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the magnitude and determinants of neck and upper back pain among eye care professionals at a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia in 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study using a close-ended questionnaire to determine the frequency of neck and back pain and its association with age, sex, weight, comorbidities, duration of professional work, history of injury and physician sub-speciality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 82% and 165 eye care professionals participated, 70% (113) of whom reported neck and back pain. The rate was similar in ophthalmologists and allied eye care professionals and among surgical and medical ophthalmologists. The prevalence rate of neck and upper back pain was not associated with number of years in the profession, comorbidities, self-reported weight or injury. Pain appeared to be associated with reported physical discomfort during professional activities (P < 0.01) but not with mental stress. Pain was thought to be work related by 50% of participants. A lower rate of neck and upper back pain was associated with regular exercise [odds ratio = 0.5 (95% confidence interval 0.2-0.9)].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neck and back pain was reported by 70% of eye care professionals. The pain was graded as mild to moderate and improved when on holidays. Regular physical exercise appeared to prevent or reduce neck and upper back pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh 11462, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Marwani Al-Juhani
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh 11462, Saudi Arabia, rajiv.khandekar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khandekar
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh 11462, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Harby
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh 11462, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Hassan
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh 11462, Saudi Arabia, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Edward
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009885:Ophthalmology; D009907:Optometry; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Neck and back pain; ophthalmologists; work-related musculoskeletal disorders.