Certain sleep surfaces may trigger complaints of musculoskeletal pain and discomfort among otherwise healthy individuals. Thus, studies investigating the association between sleep surfaces and the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and discomfort are imperative. This study investigated the influence of sleep surfaces on musculoskeletal pain among undergraduate students in Lagos, Nigeria. Five hundred undergraduate students of the College of Medicine University of Lagos from 300 to 600 level participated in this cross-sectional survey. They completed a 47-item modified Standardized Nordic Questionnaire for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Information sought included respondent’s demographics, mattress characteristics, sleeping pattern, prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, location, predisposing factors, treatment approaches adopted and knowledge of ergonomics. Data was summarized using descriptive statistics of frequency, mean, standard deviation, percentages, and inferential statistics of chi-square to test for association among variables. Level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. A 12-month 79.7% prevalence of musculoskeletal pain was observed with females significantly (p<0.05) higher than males (57.9% vs 42.1%). The highest 12-month prevalence of musculoskeletal pain was on the low back (17.6%), while the highest point prevalence was on the neck (54.6%). Mattress type, size and duration of use were not significantly (p>0.05) associated with the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among undergraduate students. Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among undergraduate students was high, more in females than males. Mattress type were not significantly associated with the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among undergraduate students.

 

Keywords: Sleep surfaces, Musculoskeletal pain, Undergraduate students, Sleep quality, Quality of life.