Relationship between Physical Activity Level and Pain and Anxiety in Dentists

Objective: This study aimed to investigate how physical activity levels are associated with musculoskeletal pain and anxiety among dentists.Material and Methods: The study was conducted with 56 dentists working in the Sakarya and Bolu provinces between March and June 2025. The dentists who participated in the study were administered a demographic information and data collection form for demographic information, the International Physical Activity Scale to determine physical activity levels, the Beck Anxiety Inventory to determine anxiety levels, and the Visual Analog Scale for pain assessment.Results: According to the analysis, 73.2% of the participants were minimally physically active. A moderately negative and statistically significant relationship was found between the physical activity level and pain (p<0.05). However, no significant relationship was found between physical activity and anxiety or between physical activity and pain. No significant relationship was found between the time spent in the profession and other variables (p>0.05).Conclusion: As the level of physical activity increases, the level of musculoskeletal pain in dentists decreases; however, it does not have a direct effect on anxiety levels. Encouraging regular physical activity among dentists is important for occupational health and quality of life.