Low back pain among adolescents in the semiarid region: results of a population census in the city of Caracol, State of Piauí, Brazil

Abstract

The scope of this article is to assess low back pain prevalence and associated factors in the last 12 months among adolescents in a city in the south of the State of Piauí. It was a cross-sectional study which included 1,112 adolescents aged 13-19 in the city of Caracol, Piauí. Demographic, socio-economic, nutritional, behavioral and comorbidty characteristics were investigated. The outcome was the occurrence of low back pain (LBP) in the last 12 months. The outcome prevalence was calculated in accordance with independent variables. The proportion of individuals with chronic LBP was calculated among adolescents with LBP in the last 12 months. Crude and adjusted Poisson regression was used to estimate the prevalence ratio in the analysis of associated factors. The prevalence of LBP in the last 12 months was 32.9%. According to the adjusted analysis, being female (PR = 1.75; 95%CI:1.45-2.10), being aged 18-19 (PR = 1.27; 95%CI:1.01-1.62), having higher income (PR = 1.33; 95%CI:1.06-1.67), having a job (PR 1.25 95%CI:1.02-1.53) and having minor psychiatric disorders (PR 1.51 95%CI: 1.25-1.82) were associated with LBP in the last 12 months. This study found a high prevalence of LBP among adolescents in a poor city in the semiarid region of Northeast Brazil.