Aljohani AA, Alarawi SM, Alhusayni YM, Alanazi RA, Alkonani AA, Alatawi BE, Abu Zayied IA, Alshammari MK, Alhawaiti AS, Abu Sabir SA, Alatawi AA. Prevalence of Low Back Pain Among University Attendants in Tabuk City During 2023: A Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia.
Cureus 2023;
15:e50357. [PMID:
38213335 PMCID:
PMC10782188 DOI:
10.7759/cureus.50357]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
College students are at a higher risk of suffering low back pain (LBP). Assessing the magnitude of the problem and the associated risk factors can help reduce the suffering and disability in future doctors.
AIM
This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and related factors of LBP among medical students in the University of Tabuk and emphasize the need for targeted interventions that could help alleviate the burden of LBP among the students and improve their quality of life.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study used an online well-structured, self-report questionnaire to collect the respondents' data. The questionnaire explored the participants' sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, and the severity of LBP-related disability using the modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)) score.
RESULTS
The prevalence rate of LBP was 26.8%. The independent factors that significantly increased the probability of LBP included overweight/obesity (odds ratio (OR): 1.696, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.086 to 2.648, p = 0.020) and stretching exercises (OR: 1.784, 95% CI: 1.104 to 2.883, p = 0.018). The independent predictors that significantly increased the severity of ODI included married marital status (p = 0.007), back surgery (p = 0.031), and higher pain intensity (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
We found that the prevalence rate of LBP among our sample was around 26%. This rate is approximate to the rates reported in previous studies. Furthermore, the activities most affected by LBP were sitting, standing, and lifting. Future studies should explore other risk factors and attempt to determine the onset of pain. A longitudinal study design is recommended to identify the onset of developing LBP.
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