Association Between Sedentary Behaviour and Musculoskeletal Complaints among Roman Catholic Priests in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The impact of sedentary behaviour (SB) on musculoskeletal complaints (MSK-C) among Roman Catholic priests is of utmost interest given that they largely reside and work within parish premises. This study evaluated the association between SB and MSK-C among Roman Catholic priests in Benin City.

Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 91 Roman Catholic priests recruited via consecutive sampling. Participants' age and anthropometric parameters were obtained. Also, MSK-C and SB were assessed using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and the International Sedentary Assessment Tool questionnaires, respectively. Descriptive statistics summarized the data. Pearson’s correlation coefficient determined the relationship between SB and anthropometric parameters. Chi-square analysed the association between SB and MSK-C, while binary logistic regression analysed predictors of MSK-C at p<0.05.

Results: Respondents’ mean age and sedentary time were 39.33±11.03 years and 353.34±166.29 minutes/day. Neck pain was the most prevalent MSK-C (45.1%), and ankle pain was the least (5.5 %). Significant associations (p<0.05) were found between SB and respondents’ experience of pain in the neck, shoulder, wrist, upper back, low back (LBP), hip, knee, and ankle. A negative significant relationship (p<0.05) exists between respondents’ age and SB, while age, weight, BMI, waist circumference (WC), and WC to height ratio (WHtR) significantly (p<0.05) predicted LBP.

Conclusion: Roman Catholic priests were sedentary for about a quarter of day time, and their SB was associated with the experience of pain at the neck, shoulder, wrist, back, hip, knee and ankle. Age of Roman Catholic priests influenced SB, while age, weight, BMI, WC, and WHtR predicted LBP.