Prevalence and association of musculoskeletal disorders among breastfeeding women in Saudi Arabia Authors Sattam Almutairi Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medical Rehabilitation Science, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia Raghad Aljutaily Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medical Rehabilitation Science, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia Raghad Alshuwayman Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medical Rehabilitation Science, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia Marzouq Almutairi Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medical Rehabilitation Science, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia Yousef Alshehre Department of Physiotherapy, University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia DOI: https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.8571 Keywords: Breastfeeding, Musculoskeletal pain, Physical therapy, Lactation, Women’s health Abstract Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, and to explore the association between maternal positioning and musculoskeletal pain among lactating women. Methods: The cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted from January to May 2022 at buraidah, Saudi Arabia, and comprised Arabic-speaking women aged 18-49 years who were breastfeeding. Sociodemographic and clinical data related to musculoskeletal disorders was collected using a redesigned questionnaire through Twitter and WhatsApp platforms. Data was analysed using SPSS 28. Results: Of the 474 women who responded, 192(40.7%) were excluded because they did not meet the eligibility criteria. The sample comprised 281(59.3%) women. The median age was 33 years with an interquartile range of 10 years 71(25.3%). Overall, 163(58%) subjects reported musculoskeletal pain caused by breastfeeding, 78(27.8%) experienced musculoskeletal pain with breastfeeding, 43(15.3%) considered discontinuing breastfeeding, and 59(21%) reported that musculoskeletal pain prevented them from performing their activities of daily living. The most painful segments reported were the back 6.24±3.21, nipple 5.51±3.43, shoulders 4.88±3.40, and neck 4.10±3.13. Sitting on a mat was the commonly adopted maternal positioning 2.38±1.41. Cradle hold was the most convenient baby-holding positioning during breastfeeding reported by 170(60.5%). Conclusion: The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was found to be high among breastfeeding women in Saudi Arabia, and an association was found between musculoskeletal disorders and maternal breastfeeding positioning. Key Words: Breastfeeding, Musculoskeletal pain, Physical therapy, Lactation, Women’s health. Author Biographies Raghad Aljutaily, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medical Rehabilitation Science, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia Raghad Alshuwayman, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medical Rehabilitation Science, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia Marzouq Almutairi, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medical Rehabilitation Science, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia Yousef Alshehre , Department of Physiotherapy, University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia Downloads Full Text Article Published 2023-12-24 How to Cite Almutairi, S., Aljutaily, R., Alshuwayman, R., Almutairi, M., & Alshehre , Y. (2023). Prevalence and association of musculoskeletal disorders among breastfeeding women in Saudi Arabia. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 74(1), 72–77. https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.8571 More Citation Formats ACM ACS APA ABNT Chicago Harvard IEEE MLA Turabian Vancouver Download Citation Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX Issue Vol. 74 No. 1 (2024): JANUARY Section RESEARCH ARTICLE License Copyright (c) 2020 Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.