Musculoskeletal pain among medical students at two Jordanian universities

Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is a debilitating multi-perceptual condition afflicting many individuals, especially individuals in the medical profession.

To analyze and evaluate the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among medical students at Jordanian universities during the complete virtual learning process.

A cross-sectional study of 593 medical students at two Jordanian universities was conducted. A modified Nordic questionnaire was used to assess musculoskeletal pain in three body regions.

Five hundred ninety-three students at the two Jordanian universities participated in this study. The prevalence of having MSK pain during the past week in the neck, shoulder, and lower back was 34.6%, 27%, and 41%, respectively; during the past 12 months, it was 61.2%, 45.5%, and 63.1%, respectively. Overall prevalence of having MSK pain was 58.9% in the last week and 78.1% in the past 12 months. 66.8% of students who had psychosomatic symptoms and 62.3% of those with depressive symptoms in the past week had MSK pain. Students who studied 8 hours per day had higher percentages of MSK pain (68.4%) (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.965-1.312). The average number of hours using a computer per day was significantly associated with MSK pain (p= 0.032). MSK pain during the last week was significantly associated with psychosomatic symptoms (OR 1.842, 95% CI 1.272-2.668, p= 0.001). Family history of MSK pain was significantly related to the presence of the problem in participants (OR 1.732, 95% CI 1.182-2.538, p= 0.005). Gender, depressive symptoms, average hours of computer use per day, and average hours of study at home per day did not show significant relationships with MSK pain over the year.

High prevalence of MSK pain was observed among medical students. Measures to balance in-person and virtual learning should be considered in medical schools to minimize the risk of MSK pain.