Low back pain prevalence and associated risk factors among medical students at four major medical colleges in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and to identify risk factors associated with LBP among medical students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2021 medical students from four medical colleges in Saudi Arabia during the academic year 2019–2020. A self-administered questionnaire was conducted and included three sections: demographic data, risk factors of LBP, and prevalence of LBP (during lifetime, past 12 months, and past 7 days). Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: A total of 2021 medical students responded to our survey. The participants were 57.1% female and 42.9% male. Most of the students' ages (76.3%) ranged from 20 to 24 years. Medical students younger than 20 and older than 24 were 21.8% and 1.9%, respectively. The prevalence of LBP was 80.7% at any time, 67.6% in the past 12 months, and 38.2% in the past 7 days. Females were found to have higher prevalence of LBP than males (P