Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) can be defined as injuries or pain affecting the musculoskeletal system. MSD prevalence is high among healthcare professionals. Considering the stress of education and physical burden of clinical training, musculoskeletal conditions might begin during healthcare professionals’ student years.
Objective
This study aimed to critically analyze the literature regarding the prevalence of MSDs for different body areas among students studying at health professions colleges in Saudi Arabia.
Methods
A meta-analysis calculated event rates with relative 95% confidence intervals for each body region. Two reviewers systematically searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus databases. Initial search was completed on 22 May 2023; then updated 24 June 2025. Data was extracted, and quantitative synthesis performed based on eligibility criteria. Studies were included if they evaluated the prevalence of MSDs affecting at least one body part and were conducted among healthcare students in Saudi Arabia. Studies that did not specifically report the type or anatomical location of musculoskeletal disorders were excluded.
Results
Forty-two (42) studies, including 15,747 students from health professions colleges, were included. Highest 12-month MSD prevalence was reported for conditions affecting lower back (47%), neck (46%), upper back (33%) and shoulder (34%). Highest 7-day MSD prevalence was also for conditions affecting lower back (31%), neck (27%), upper back (17%) and shoulder (19%).
Conclusions
MSDs are prevalent among healthcare students in Saudi Arabia, particularly in certain regions, emphasizing the need for early assessment and intervention.
PachecoMPCarvalhoPJCavalheiroL, et al.Prevalence of postural changes and musculoskeletal disorders in young adults. Int J Environ Res Public Health2023; 20: 7191.
2.
Jacquier-BretJGorceP. Prevalence of body area work-related musculoskeletal disorders among healthcare professionals: a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health2023; 20: 41.
3.
ChenBLiuXHuM, et al.Insights into the bone morphogenetic protein signaling in musculoskeletal disorders: mechanisms and crosstalk. J Orthop Translat2025; 52: 419–440.
4.
SoaresCOPereiraBFGomesMVP, et al.Preventive factors against work-related musculoskeletal disorders: narrative review. Rev Bras Med Trab2019; 17: 415–430.
5.
FelembanRASofiRAAlhebshiSA, et al.Prevalence and predictors of musculoskeletal pain among undergraduate students at a dental school in Saudi ArabiaClin Cosmet Investig Dent2021; 13: 39–46.
6.
AlexopoulosECStathiI-CCharizaniF. Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in dentists. BMC Musculoskelet Disord2004; 5: –8.
7.
SmithDRMihashiMAdachiY, et al.A detailed analysis of musculoskeletal disorder risk factors among Japanese nurses. J Safety Res2006; 37: 195–200.
8.
HayesMJCockrellDSmithDR. A systematic review of musculoskeletal disorders among dental professionals. Int J Dent Hyg2009; 7: 159–165.
9.
LindforsPVon ThieleULundbergU. Work characteristics and upper extremity disorders in female dental health workers. J Occup Health2006; 48: 192–197.
10.
YlipääVSzusterFSpencerJ, et al.Health, mental well-being, and musculoskeletal disorders: a comparison between Swedish and Australian dental hygienists. J Dent Hyg2002; 76: 47–58.
11.
CrawfordLGutierrezGHarberP. Work environment and occupational health of dental hygienists: a qualitative assessment. J Occup Environ Med2005; 47: 623–632.
12.
ZafarHAlmosaN. Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among dental students of King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. J Contemp Dent Pract2019; 20: 449–453. PMID: 31308275.
13.
SmithDRWeiNIshitakeT, et al.Musculoskeletal disorders among Chinese medical students. Kurume Med J2005; 52: 139–146.
14.
PartoDNWongAYLMacedoL. Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and associated risk factors in Canadian university students. BMC Musculoskelet Disord2023; 24: 01.
15.
RayyanMRHetouSCAl SalemRF, et al.Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among dental students of different academic levels. J Int Oral Health2016; 8: 471–475.
16.
SissonSBKatzmarzykPT. International prevalence of physical activity in youth and adults. Obes Rev2008; 9: 606–614.
17.
El-GilanyAEl-MasryR. Physical inactivity among Egyptian and Saudi medical students. TAF Prev Med Bull2011; 10: 35–44.
18.
SmithDRLeggatPA. Musculoskeletal disorders among rural Australian nursing students. Aust J Rural Health2004; 12: 241–245.
19.
AlmeidaMBPóvoaRTavaresD, et al.Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among dental students: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Heliyon2023; 9: e19956.
20.
PageMJMcKenzieJEBossuytPM, et al.Updating guidance for reporting systematic reviews: development of the PRISMA 2020 statement. J Clin Epidemiol2021; 134: 103–112.
21.
MunnZSternCAromatarisE, et al.What kind of systematic review should I conduct? A proposed typology and guidance for systematic reviewers in the medical and health sciences. BMC Med Res Methodol2018; 18: 5.
22.
OsborneABlakeCFullenBM, et al.Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among farmers: a systematic review. Am J Ind Med2012; 55: 143–158.
23.
AltmanDG. Practical Statistics for Medical Research[e-book]. New York: Chapman & Hall/CRC, 1990.
24.
WellsGSheaBO’ConnellD, et al.The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) for assessing the quality of non-randomized studies in meta-analysis. Ottawa: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 2011; https://www.ohri.ca/programs/clinical_epidemiology/oxford.asp.
25.
SandersonSTattIDHigginsJPT. Tools for assessing quality and susceptibility to bias in observational studies in epidemiology: a systematic review and annotated bibliography. Int J Epidemiol2007; 36: 666–676.
26.
HootmanJMDribanJBSitlerMR, et al.Reliability and validity of three quality rating instruments for systematic reviews of observational studies. Res Synth Methods2011; 2: 110–118.
27.
ModestiPAReboldiGCappuccioFP, et al.Panethnic differences in blood pressure in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One2016; 11: e0147601.
28.
WissDABrewertonTD. Adverse childhood experiences and adult obesity: a systematic review of plausible mechanisms and meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies. Physiol Behav2020; 223: 112964. DOI: 0.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112964.
29.
SookoianSPirolaCJ. Systematic review with meta-analysis: the significance of histological disease severity in lean patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther2018; 47: 16–25.
30.
BorensteinMHedgesLVHigginsJPT, et al.Introduction to Meta-Analysis [e-book]. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons2009. DOI: 10.1002/9780470743386
31.
GökmenA. The effect of gender on environmental attitude: a meta-analysis study. Journal of Pedagogical Research2021; 5: 243–257.
32.
ChenHManningAKDupuisJ. A method of moments estimator for random effect multivariate meta-analysis. Biometrics2012; 68: 1278–1284.
33.
Huedo-MedinaTBSánchez-MecaJMarín-MartínezF, et al.Assessing heterogeneity in meta-analysis: q statistic or I2 index?Psychol Methods2006; 11: 193–206.
34.
PrinsenCACMokkinkLBBouterLM, et al.COSMIN Guideline for systematic reviews of patient-reported outcome measures. Quality Life Res2018; 27: 1147–1157.
35.
Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). Checklist for prevalence studies: Critical appraisal tools for use in JBI systematic reviews. Adelaide, Australia: Joanna Briggs Institute 2020.
36.
AzamiMMoradkhaniAAfraieM, et al.The association between diabetes mellitus and musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)2024; 15: 1320468.
37.
Kimmie-DhansayFBhayatA. Prevalence of dental caries in the permanent dentition amongst 12-year-olds in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Oral Health2022; 22: 53.
38.
SchünemannHJCuelloCAklEA, et al.GRADE Guidelines: 18. How ROBINS-I and other tools to assess risk of bias in nonrandomized studies should be used to rate the certainty of a body of evidence. J Clin Epidemiol2019; 111: 105–114.
39.
GuyattGHOxmanADVistG, et al.GRADE Guidelines: 4. Rating the quality of evidence—study limitations (risk of bias). J Clin Epidemiol2011; 64: 407–415.
40.
GuyattGHOxmanADKunzR, et al.GRADE Guidelines: 7. Rating the quality of evidence—inconsistency. J Clin Epidemiol2011; 64: 1294–1302.
41.
ClariMGodonoAGarzaroG, et al.Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among perioperative nurses: a systematic review and META-analysis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord2021; 22: 226.
42.
GuyattGHOxmanADKunzR, et al.GRADE Guidelines: 8. Rating the quality of evidence—indirectness. J Clin Epidemiol2011; 64: 1303–1310.
43.
Brown RSJrMcMahonBJLokAS, et al.Antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis B viral infection during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hepatology2016; 63: 284–306.
44.
ElraiyahTTsapasAPrutskyG, et al.A systematic review and meta-analysis of adjunctive therapies in diabetic foot ulcers. J Vasc Surg2016; 63: 46S–58S.e1-2.
45.
GuyattGHOxmanADKunzR, et al.GRADE Guidelines 6. Rating the quality of evidence—imprecision. J Clin Epidemiol2011; 64: 1283–1293.
46.
GuyattGHOxmanADMontoriV, et al.GRADE guidelines: 5. Rating the quality of evidence—publication bias. J Clin Epidemiol2011; 64: 1277–1282.
47.
AboalshamatKT. Nordic assessment of occupational disorders among dental students and dentists in Saudi Arabia. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent2020; 10: 561–568.
48.
AboalshamatKTDaoudOMahmoudLA, et al.Practices and attitudes of dental loupes and their relationship to musculoskeletal disorders among dental practitioners. Int J Dent2020; 8828709. DOI: 10.1155/2020/8828709
49.
Al MoaleemMMOkshahASAl-ShahraniAA, et al.Prevalence and severity of temporomandibular disorders among undergraduate medical students in association with khat chewing. J Contemp Dent Pract2017; 18: 23–28.
50.
AlgarniADAl-SaranYAl-MoawiA, et al.The prevalence of and factors associated with neck, shoulder, and low-back pains among medical students at university hospitals in Central Saudi Arabia. Pain Res Treat2017; 1235706. DOI: 10.1155/2017/1235706
51.
AlqahtaniNHAbdulazizAAHendiOM, et al.Prevalence of burnout syndrome among students of health care colleges and its correlation to musculoskeletal disorders in Saudi Arabia. Int J Prev Med2020; 11: 38.
52.
AlrabaiHMAladhayaniMHAlshahraniSM, et al.Low back pain prevalence and associated risk factors among medical students at four major medical colleges in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Nature and Science of Medicine2021; 4: 296–302.
53.
AlsaadiSM. Musculoskeletal pain in undergraduate students is significantly associated with psychological distress and poor sleep quality. Int J Environ Res Public Health2022; 19: 13929.
54.
AlsalamehAMHarisiMJAlduayjiMA, et al.Evaluating the relationship between smartphone addiction/overuse and musculoskeletal pain among medical students at Qassim University. J Family Med Prim Care2019; 8: 2953–2959.
55.
AlshammariKFAlassafOMAlomaimHY, et al.Prevalence of low back pain and its relation to stress and study hours among medical students in University of Hail in Saudi Arabia. Med Sci2021; 25: 432–439.
56.
AlshanqitiMGarahMAlsenaniK, et al.Prevalence of lower back pain among Taibah University Students. Int J Adv Res (Indore)2017; 5: 1304–1313.
57.
AlShayhanFASaadeddinM. Prevalence of low back pain among health sciences students. Eur J Surg Traumatol2018; 28: 165–170.
58.
AlshehriFSAlalawiAAKhaledY, et al.Back pain among medical students in Al Madinah Province, KSA. Med Sci2022; 26: –9.
59.
AlthakafiKAAbduljabbarFHMugharbelAT, et al.Prevalence of low back pain among university students in King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. Int J Pharm Phytopharmacol Res2021; 11: 70–78.
60.
AlturkistaniLHHendiOMBajaberAS, et al.Prevalence of lower back pain and its relation to stress among medical students in Taif University, Saudi Arabia. Int J Prev Med2020; 11: 35.
61.
AlzahraniAWAAlzahraniTAAlzahraniJA, et al.Prevalence of low back pain and its associated risk factors in Al Baha region. Saudi Arabia. Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences2018; 5: 16865–16869.
62.
AsiriAAlbassriDAlswayyedT. The prevalence of hand pain and its risk factors among dental students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Med Sci2022; 26. DOI: 10.54905/disssi/v26i127/ms372e2451
63.
DighririYHAkkurMAAlharbiSA, et al.Prevalence and associated factors of neck, shoulder, and low-back pains among medical students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. J Family Med Prim Care2019; 8: 3826–3831.
64.
HendiOMAlturkistaniLHBajaberAS, et al.Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder and its relation to stress among medical students at Taif University, Saudi Arabia. Int J Prev Med2021; 12: 98. DOI: 0.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_335_20.
65.
HendiOMAbdulazizAAAlthaqafiAM, et al.Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and its correlation to physical activity among health specialty students. Int J Prev Med2019; 10: 48.
66.
NajmuddinMShabiAYAlqadiAM, et al.Assessment of knowledge and self-awareness about temporomandibular joint disorders among dental students. European J Gen Dent2022; 11: 189–194.
67.
SrivastavaKCShrivastavaDKhanZA, et al.Evaluation of temporomandibular disorders among dental students of Saudi Arabia using diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (DC/TMD): a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health2021; 21: 11.
68.
WalaaSMWalaaME. Prevalence of scoliosis among Majmaah University physical therapy students-Saudi Arabia. Int J Med Res Health Sci2016; 5: 187–191.
69.
AlSahiemJAlghamdiSAlQahtaniR, et al.Musculoskeletal disorders among dental students: a survey from Saudi Arabia. BMC Oral Health2023; 23: 1–12.
70.
AlmutairiHAlhammadLAldossariB, et al.Prevalence and interrelationships of screen time, visual disorders, and neck pain among university students: a cross-sectional study at Majmaah University. Healthcare2024; 12: 2067.
71.
AlSahiemJAlghamdiSAlQahtaniR, et al.Musculoskeletal disorders among dental students: a survey from Saudi Arabia. BMC Oral Health2023; 23: 95.
72.
AlshakhsAMAlmarzougHAAlhamaidYA, et al.Association between musculoskeletal pain and studying hours among medical students in Saudi Arabia. Ann Afr Med2025; 24: 628–635.
73.
AlhammadAAlmalkiHSulimanI, et al.Prevalence and contributing factors of neck pain among taibah university students: a posture and gender-based analysis. Mol Cell Biomech2024; 21: 43.
74.
AlSamiriLAAlShehriAMAithbitySF, et al.Prevalence and correlation of low back pain among clinical medical students: aa cross-sectional study. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries2024; 8: 1836–1842.
75.
AlhumaidanMIBushraASaadA, et al.Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among medical students at king saud university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Cureus2025; 17: e82703.
76.
MashabiARagabWAlrayesG, et al.Prevalence of text neck between different female students at Taibah University, Saudi Arabia; Cross section design. Healthcare2025; 13: 651.
77.
NourallahHJohanssonA. Prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in a young male Saudi population. J Oral Rehabil1995; 22: 343–347.
78.
MahmoudNAAbu RaddahaAHZaghamirDE. Impact of digital device use on neck and low back pain intensity among nursing students at a Saudi government university: a cross-sectional study. Healthcare2022; 10: 2424.
79.
AlsiwedKTAlsarwaniRMAlshaikhSA, et al.The prevalence of text neck syndrome and its association with smartphone use among medical students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Journal of Musculoskeletal Surgery and Research2021; 5: 266–272.
80.
HetaimishBBosseiATurkstaniG, et al.Prevalence of De-Quervain’s Tenosynovitis among medical professionals. World Family Medicine2020; 18: 125–131. DOI: 10.5742MEWFM.2020.93738.
81.
HomeidaLFelembanEKassarW, et al.Temporomandibular joints disorders (TMDs) prevalence and their relation to anxiety in dental students. F1000Res2022; 11: 271. DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.76178.2.
82.
SirajudeenMSAlzhraniMAlanaziA, et al.Prevalence of text neck posture, smartphone addiction, and its association with neck disorders among university students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. PeerJ2022; 15: e14443.
83.
SirajudeenMSAlzhraniMAlanaziA, et al.Prevalence of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders and their association with smartphone addiction and smartphone usage among university students in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic—A cross-sectional study. In: Healthcare2022; 10: 2373.
84.
AlwashmiAH. Prevalence of low back pain and associated factors among Qassim University medical students: a cross-sectional study. Cureus2023; 15: e44596.
85.
SultanIAlgouziRMAlasmariMA, et al.The prevalence and factors associated with musculoskeletal pain among medical students at Ibn Sina National College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Med Sci2021; 25: 3489–3496.
86.
ZwiriAMAAl-OmiriMK. Prevalence of temporomandibular joint disorder among North Saudi University students. Cranio2016; 34: 176–181.
87.
DewirIH. Prevalence and risk factors associated with neck pain in undergraduate physiotherapy students at taif university. Medical Rehabilitation/Rehabilitacja Medyczna2022; 26: 44–51.
88.
AlrumiAAlsheraimiAAlassafS, et al.Prevalence and characterization of musculoskeletal disorders among dental students, interns, and residents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Med Sci2020; 24: 2565–2572.
89.
AlmaawiAAwwadWBamugaddamA, et al.Prevalence of knee injuries among male college students in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. J Orthop Surg Res2020; 15: –8.
90.
Al-ShehriZAl ZoughoolM. Prevalence and risk factors of musculoskeletal symptoms among dental students and dental practitioners in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. Arch Environ Occup Health2017; 73: 56–63.
91.
AlrowailiMG. COVID-19 lockdown and low back pain among students of healthcare faculties at northern border university, Saudi Arabia. Annals of Clinical and Analytical Medicine2021; 12: 308–312.
92.
GowedaRAIdrisKJBakhshAJ, et al.Prevalence and associated risk factor of low back pain among medical student of Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia: cross-sectional study. Med Sci2020; 24: 4359–4367.
93.
HassaanMMBakriKANajmiMH, et al.Prevalence and associated factors of neck, shoulder, and low back pains among students of Jazan university, Saudi Arabia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. IJMDC2022; 6: 1144.
94.
TahaYAAl SwaidanAHAlyamiHS, et al.The prevalence of low back pain among medical students: a cross-sectional study from Saudi Arabia. Cureus2023; 15: e38997.
95.
HaleemSAhmedYSugannaM, et al.Prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome among dental students and dental assistants of dental colleges in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A cross sectional study. European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine2022; 9: 7291–7305.
96.
KandasamyGAlmanasefMAlmeleebiaT, et al.Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among undergraduate students. Front Med2024; 11: 1403267.
97.
AbdulrahmanAKAl AskarATSAlhamidiAKA, et al.Low back pain among college students in a public Saudi university: a cross-sectional study. J Family Med Prim Care2024; 13: 3798–3805.
98.
AlshehriMMAlqhtaniAMGharawiSH, et al.Prevalence of lower back pain and its associations with lifestyle behaviors among college students in Saudi Arabia. BMC Musculoskelet Disord2023; 24: 46.
99.
BaabdullahABokharyDKabliY, et al. The association between smartphone addiction and thumb/wrist pain: A cross-sectional study. Medicine2020; 99(10): e19124.
100.
ZafarHAlmosaN. Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among dental students of King Saud University. J Contemp Dent Pract2019; 20: 449–453.
101.
AljohaniAAAlarawiSMAlhusayniYM, et al. Prevalence of low back pain Among university attendants in Tabuk City during 2023: A cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia. Cureus2023; 15: e50357–00.
102.
DeeksJJHigginsJPTAltmanDG, et al.Analysing data and undertaking meta-analyses. In: Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions, 2019: 241–284. DOI: 10.1002/9781119536604.ch10
103.
AlqahtaniNHAbdulazizAAHendiOM, et al.Prevalence of burnout syndrome among students of health care colleges and its correlation to musculoskeletal disorders in Saudi Arabia. Int J Prev Med2020; 11: 38.
104.
ChennaDPentapatiKCKumarM, et al.Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among dental healthcare providers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. F1000Res2022; 11: 1062.
105.
KuorinkaIJonssonBKilbomA, et al.Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Appl Ergon1987; 18: 233–237.
106.
GorcePJacquier-BretJ. Global prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among physiotherapists: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord2023; 24. doi:10.1186/s12891-023-06345-6
107.
SoroushAShamsiMIzadiN, et al. Musculoskeletal disorders as common problems among iranian nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis study. Int J Prev Med2018; 9: 27.
108.
EpsteinSSparerEHTranBN, et al.Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among surgeons and interventionalists: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Surg2018; 153: e174947.
109.
HoyDMarchLBrooksP, et al.The global burden of low back pain: estimates from the global burden of disease 2010 study. Ann Rheum Dis2014; 73: 968–974.
110.
Alonso Monteiro BezerraMHellwigNda Rocha Castelar PinheiroG, et al.Prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal conditions and associated factors in Brazilian adults–national health survey. BMC Public Health2018; 18: 287.
111.
JacksonTThomasSStabileV, et al.A systematic review and meta-analysis of the global burden of chronic pain without clear etiology in low-and middle-income countries: trends in heterogeneous data and a proposal for new assessment methods. Anesth Analg2016; 123: 739–748.
112.
BakerWLMichael WhiteCCappelleriJC, et al.Understanding heterogeneity in meta-analysis: the role of meta-regression. Int J Clin Pract2009; 63: 1426–1434.
