Physical fitness course in the dental curriculum and prevention of low back pain.

Physical and psychosocial stressors in dental schools are associated with adverse health outcome, including low back pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physical fitness course included in a dental school's curriculum with regard to prevention of low back pain. Ninety first-year and sixty-two final-year dental students completed an anonymous questionnaire on physical fitness habits and low back pain. Fifty voluntarily participated in the Åstrand bicycle ergometer test. The questionnaire revealed that 37 percent of the students have weekly physical exercise only during the physical fitness course included in the curriculum and 62.5 percent of the students reported low back pain. Final-year dental students had significantly more low back pain than first-year dental students (r=0.21, χ(2)=7.91, p=0.005). Female students had significantly more low back pain than male students (r=0.28, χ(2)=6.61, p=0.0101). The Åstrand test revealed that students who attended the physical fitness course had significantly better physical fitness (p=0.008) than those who did not. Students who exercised more regularly had significantly less low back pain (r =-0.19, χ(2)=11.89, p<0.01) than those who did not. We conclude that participation in a physical fitness course leads to improved low back health for dental students and may prevent low back pain among final-year dental students.