1Arooj Bashir, 1Dr Jayadevan Shreedharan, 1Dr Madiha Farooqui, 1Dr Humaid Sadiq, 1Dr Ali Hassan
1Sharjah United Arab Emirates
Purpose Statement:
This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors related to joint pain among health care providers and workers.
Method(s): It was a cross-sectional study conducted among 280 healthcare providers and workers of Thumbay Healthcare groups in Ajman, UAE. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among the participants. The questionnaire was divided into three domains; socio-demographics, factors associated with joint pain and; perspective of joint pain.
Result(s): The prevalence of joint pain among the healthcare providers and workers was found to be 61%. There was no variation observed in the prevalence with respect to gender. Married individuals (64.3%) were shown to have a higher prevalence than singles (54.7%). With regards to age, the prevalence of joint pain was highest (70.7%) among those above 40 years of age. Statistically significant association of joint pain was observed with leisure activities, washing of dishes, driving, hereditary factors and gynecological factors including menstrual cycle patterns and joint pain during menstruation.
Conclusion(s): A high prevalence of joint pain was observed among the healthcare providers and workers. It was found to be more prevalent in married individuals and among those above the age of 40. Several modifiable factors like leisure activities, washing of dishes and driving were found to have a statistically significant association with joint pain.