PREVALENCE OF KNEE PAIN AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG SCHOOL TEACHERS IN SELANGOR, MALAYSIA

Received 2022-07-15; Accepted 2022-10-09; Published 2022-12-31

Authors

  • Eva Nabiha Zamri Department of Community Health, Advanced Medical & Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 13200 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
  • Victor Hoe Chee Wai Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health-UM, Department of Social & Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Moy Foong Ming Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social & Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22452/jummec.sp2022no1.2

Abstract

Knee pain (KP) is commonly reported among workers, especially those in non-managerial occupations such as carpenters, miners and construction workers. However, few studies have been conducted on KP among the teacher population. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of KP among school teachers and to explore its association with individual characteristics, lifestyle, work factors, and presence of health conditions. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among teachers at public secondary schools in Selangor, Malaysia. A self-reported questionnaire was utilised to elicit information on socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle, body mass index, work-related factors, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Associations with KP were analysed by logistic regression and reported as odds ratios (ORs) at a 95% confidence interval (CI). The results revealed that the 12-month prevalence of KP was 54.4%. The multivariate analysis showed that age (OR 3.55, 95% CI: 1.92–6.54), kneeling or squatting >1 hour in total (OR 1.48, 95% CI: 1.06–2.08), and physical HRQoL (OR 0.94, 95% CI: 0.92–0.96) were significantly associated with the occurrence of KP. In conclusion, the prevalence of KP among secondary school teachers is high. Age, work-related physical practises, and physical health were found to be significantly associated with KP. Therefore, appropriate strategies should be implemented to address these factors in order to reduce the occurrence of KP, especially among the older teacher population.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2022-12-31