Relationship between happiness, stress and musculoskeletal disorders in portuguese dentists

Abstract

Dentistry, taking into account its need for concentration, accuracy and manual skills as well as physical and psychological requirements, is one of the most stressful professions and the one with most frequently reported musculoskeletal disorders. Dentists present high levels of stress, which may impair their physical and mental health, their well-being and personal relationships, and the quality of treatments that they provide to patients. Stress is related to the onset of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which are a major health concern for dentists. Happiness precedes and creates several favorable life outcomes predicting quality of life and longevity, with countless benefits not only on a individual basis, but also for the families and the communities to which people belong. Happy people live healthier and longer lives, both physically and mentally. The main purpose and the novelty of the present study was to assess the relationship between stress, happiness (both fluctuating and authenticdurable) and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among dentists. The first part of this study includes the validation of Subjective Fluctuating Happiness Scale (SFHS) and Subjective Authentic-Durable Happiness Scale (SA-DHS) for the Portuguese population. In order to validate SHFS and SA-DHS, two other measures have been applied: Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The entire questionnaire was applied nationwide simultaneously using both online (n = 1338) and paper/pencil methods (n = 1018), making a total of 2356 respondents. The Portuguese versions of Subjective Fluctuating Happiness Scale and Subjective Authentic-Durable Happiness Scale had high internal consistency in every sample. For the total sample, the Cronbach’s alpha was .90 for SFHS and .93 for SA-DHS; the mean values were: 3.58, and 4.60 respectively for SFHS and SA-DHS. Both scales had adequate convergent validity. Item 15, in the Portuguese version, loaded in Contentment Subscale. Both scales showed high reliability and seemed to be a valid tool for measuring and distinguish between fluctuating (SFHS) and authentic-durable happiness (SA-DHS), for both online and paper/pencil survey methods. To assess the relationship between stress, happiness and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among dentists, four measures have been applied: SHFS, SHA-DS, Perceived Stress Scale and a musculoskeletal complaint (MSC) questionnaire, adapted for the present study by the author. Portuguese dentists were surveyed through online method (n = 508). Mean stress level was 22.99 and 17.62 on full and short scales, respectively. The stress was positively correlated with the MSC and the fluctuating happiness, and negatively correlated with authentic-durable happiness. The prevalence of MSC for at least one body region was 88.2% for the last week, and 90.7% for the last year. MSC were positively correlated with fluctuating happiness and negatively with authentic-durable happiness. Subjective happiness scored 3.32 on fluctuating and 4.54 on authenticdurable, in a 1-7 scale. Stress and MSC were high among Portuguese dentists, and higher among female dentists. Fluctuating happiness and MSC were predictors of stress. Portuguese dentists presented high levels of stress and MSC, which were positively correlated with each other, and negatively related to authenticdurable happiness and to physical activity.