Back pain in pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Carmen Hawker,Maureen N Sibiya,Thembilihle S.P Ngxongo,Shanaz Ghuman,Dorinda Borg,Firoza Haffejee,Laura O’Connor,Poovendhree Reddy,Nalini Govender

doi:10.4102/hsag.v26i0.1507

Carmen Hawker, Maureen N Sibiya + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v26i0.1507

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Abstract

BackgroundBack pain is not uncommon in pregnant women, but it is often under-reported and can be disabling. International studies report a high prevalence of back pain, especially in the last trimester. Little is known about the prevalence of back pain in South African pregnant women.AimTo determine the prevalence and risk factors of back pain in a cohort of pregnant womenSettingPublic primary healthcare clinics and the eThekwini municipality of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South AfricaMethodsA descriptive cohort design was used to survey pregnant women (n = 303) over the course of their pregnancy. Data were collected at the first antenatal visit and again in the third trimester. Participants gave consent and ethical clearance was obtained from an institutional research ethics committee, from the eThekwini Health District and KZN Provincial Department of Health.ResultsThe respondents were young Black African women (mean age of 25.8 (± 6.0), who were mostly unemployed (70.7%), and resided in a resource poor setting. Back pain prevalence at the first antenatal visit and the third trimester was 12.4% (n = 35) and 10.9% (n = 5), respectively. This condition was associated with carrying water and residing in a hostel or an employee’s property. Being single was associated with less risk for developing back pain.ConclusionThe prevalence of back pain was low in this cohort of women, yet it resulted in a negative impact on the women’s ability to cope with daily life.ContributionThis is one of the first studies to describe back pain in a South African pregnant population.

Highlights

Back pain is a significant health and economic problem affecting a large proportion of the population
Back pain in pregnancy has attracted the attention of researchers globally (Jimoh et al 2013; Ramachandra et al 2015) and according to Ayanniyi et al (2006), there is no doubt that back pain is one of the most common complications associated with pregnancy and is often accepted as inevitable (Stuber & Smith 2008)
92.9 associated with pre-pregnancy back pain (p = 0.030), whilst being single was associated with less risk for developing back pain (p = 0.018; odds ratio [OR] = 0.437; CI: 0.233–0.820) (Table 4)

Summary

Introduction

Back pain is a significant health and economic problem affecting a large proportion of the population. It has a high disability rate with a severe impact on both the society and the individual (Docking et al 2011). It is more common in women than men, attributable to hormones, pain sensitivity, as well as to social and psychological factors (Sencan et al 2017). Little is known about the prevalence of back pain in South African pregnant women

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