ASSESSMENT OF DEMOGRAPHICS AND UPPER EXTREMITY MUSCULOSKELETAL COMPLAINTS OF KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTALISTS IN BENIN CITY, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study assessed the demographics and upper extremity musculoskeletal
complaints (UE-MSKC) of keyboard instrumentalists in Benin City.
A cross-sectional study on 115 keyboard instrumentalists recruited via consecutive
sampling. Participants’ age and sex were obtained, while UE-MSKC was assessed
with Maastricht upper extremity questionnaire. Descriptive statistics of frequency and
percentage were use to summarized the data.
The participants were aged 18-39 years. Majority of the participants were males
(81.7%). Majority (62.6%) have played keyboard instruments for 1-5 years, about a
third (37.4%) have played for 1 hour without break, while over half (58.3%) played
for 5 hours with breaks. A 12 month prevalence of UE-MSKC (98.3%) was found with
neck pain being highly prevalent (86.1%). Right UE-MSKC was prevalent in the
shoulder (61.7%), upper arm (62.6%), elbow (67.0%), lower arm (63.5%), wrist
(63.5%), and hand (61.7%). Majority of the participants feel pain (53.9%) and fatigue
(48.7%) immediately after playing. About a third of participants sought physician
(31.3%) or physiotherapy service (29.6%). Keyboard instrumentalists in Benin City
are male dominated and aged 18-39 years.
This study revealed a high prevalence of UE-MSKC in the neck, right wrist, right
elbow and right hand of keyboard instrumentalists in Benin City.