Purposes/objectives: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) affect the careers of dental professionals. Research suggests symptoms of MSD begin during educational careers. This sequential explanatory study aimed to determine if dental hygiene students' self-assessment using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) tool reduced the risk of MSD development and explore students' experiences using a risk tool.
Methods: Dental hygiene students (n = 21) in the last 2 of 4 sequential clinical semesters completed self-assessment using the RULA, employing photographs taken during patient care. Initial photographs were taken before students participated in a workshop about ergonomics and application of the RULA tool. Using a within-subjects repeated measures design, student risk scores were calculated for pre- and post-workshop photographs over 4 consecutive weeks. Students (n = 10) participated in a focus group to share their experiences with the risk tool.
Results: Repeated measures one-way analysis of variance compared differences in student RULA scores between weeks. There was a statistically significant effect of time on student self-reported RULA scores, F(3, 60) = 7.04, P < .001. Emergent themes from the focus group were practice using RULA, video versus photographs, adjust tool for dental hygiene practice, increased self-awareness, and connect theory to practice.
Conclusions: Results suggested using self-assessment utilizing a risk tool increased self-awareness for ergonomics, thus reducing the risk of developing MSDs for dental hygiene students.
Keywords: dental hygiene; posture; risk assessment; students.
© 2020 American Dental Education Association.