Abstract
Background: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Different studies showed the high prevalence of LBP among medical students. However, no study has been conducted on Bangladeshi medical students to estimate the prevalence of LBP. This study evaluated the prevalence, characteristics, and associated risk factors of LBP among medical students in Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October to December 2020 among randomly selected 270 medical students and medical interns in Faridpur Medical College, Bangladesh, using an online questionnaire. In data analysis, chi-square test and binary logistic regression were performed, and a p-value of < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results: A total of 207 participants responded fully to the survey, and were included in the analysis. The mean age of the participants was 22.36 ± 1.915 years. The point, 6-month, and 12-month prevalence of LBP was 25.6%, 46.9%, and 63.3%, respectively. In most participants, LBP was localized (53.2%), recurrent (64.9%), undiagnosed (70.8%), affected for a short period (55%), and relieved without receiving any treatment (60.4%). Participants who had a significantly higher 12-month prevalence of LBP included females (72.2% vs 52.2%), with BMI >25 kg/m 2 (73.2% vs 56.7%), those who performed physical activity at low to moderate frequency (72.4% vs 29.5%), those who spent > 6 hours/day by sitting (71.3% vs 45.3%), and those who did not have enough rest time (92.7% vs 56%). Ergonomic features of chairs, such as having back support, adjustable back support, and adjustable sitting surface, significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the outcomes. Conclusion: The prevalence of LBP among medical students in Bangladesh was high, and most of the risk factors associated with the high prevalence of LBP were modifiable. Hence, LBP can be prevented by implementing preventive strategies and providing ergonomic training and physical activity facilities.
Highlights
Low back pain (LBP) is considered the single leading cause of disability-related musculoskeletal conditions globally.[1,2,3] Researchers showed that 70-80% of people suffer from LBP at least once in their lifetime[2,4] and 18% of the people suffer from LBP at any given time.[5]
LBP prevalence The results of our study indicated that almost half (46.9%) and two-thirds (63.3%) of the participants experienced LBP in the past 6 months and 12 months, respectively, while 25.6% reported LBP at the time of the survey
The findings of our study demonstrated a significant relationship between the prevalence of LBP and frequency of physical activity, which was supported by previous studies.[5,41]
Summary
Low back pain (LBP) is considered the single leading cause of disability-related musculoskeletal conditions globally.[1,2,3] Researchers showed that 70-80% of people suffer from LBP at least once in their lifetime[2,4] and 18% of the people suffer from LBP at any given time.[5]. Individuals of all ages, including young people and students, can be affected by LBP.[6,7,8,9] Medical students are at high risk of developing LBP as they have highly demanding curricula that facilitate a sedentary lifestyle, stressful routines, fewer sleeping hours, long hours of study, hospital training, and classes.[5,9,10] It is essential to identify the potential risk factors that lead to LBP at an early phase of their career. LBP can be prevented by implementing preventive strategies and providing ergonomic training and physical activity facilities
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