Musculoskeletal problems and associated risk factors among health science students in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Background Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common cause of severe long-term pain and physical disability. High prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among medical and other health science students has been reported globally. However, little is known about the magnitude of the problem in Ethiopia among medical and health science students. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and identify the associated risk factors of MSDs among medical and health science students in Ethiopia. Methods Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to May 2018. A stratified random sampling technique was applied to select 422 study participants, and the data was collected by a standardized Nordic questionnaire for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS version 20. Results The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in any part of the body region among medicine and nursing students was 69.4% (95% CI, 64.9, 73.9). Lower back pain was the most commonly reported body site and its prevalence increased as the year of study increases, ranging from 38% among 2nd year to 74.4% among 5th-year students. As the year of study/academic year increased, the odds of developing musculoskeletal disorders were higher. Furthermore, this study showed that a poorly designed sitting chair was a risk factor for musculoskeletal pain. Conclusion Ergonomic interventions focusing on modification of workstations, and promoting and delivering ongoing ergonomic education are very important to reduce the problem.