Survey of back and neck pain in South African ophthalmologists

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Background: Back and neck pain are common in the general population and a common occupational condition. Occupationally related back and neck pain is common amongst ophthalmologists. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of back and neck pain amongst South African ophthalmologists. Setting: This was a survey that was conducted amongst South African ophthalmologists ( n = 324) and ophthalmologists-in-training ( n = 115). Methods: The response rate was 44.8% ( n = 197). There was no sampling and a hyperlink to an electronic questionnaire, hosted on the REDCap survey platform, was sent to 440 potential respondents. A descriptive analysis was carried out using STATA version 15. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Witwatersrand. Results: Mean age was 47.1 years (standard deviation [s.d.] ± 12.1) and 62 (31.5%) women. The cohort was stratified into specialists ( n = 81, 41.1%), subspecialists ( n = 75, 38.1%) and ophthalmologists-in-training ( n = 41, 20.8%). Most of the participants ( n = 156, 79.2%) were qualified ophthalmologists. Respondents reported current back pain ( n = 124, 62.9%), lower back pain ( n = 66, 33.5%) and neck pain ( n = 76, 38.6%). The overall median pain rating (on a scale from 1 to 10) was 4. Respondents reported mild pain ( n = 71, 36%) and severe pain ( n = 35, 17.7%). Operating and using a slit lamp were pain aggravating factors in 36% ( n = 71) and 37.1% ( n = 73), respectively. Conclusion: Back and neck pain are prevalent amongst South African ophthalmologists and comparable to other ophthalmologists worldwide.

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