Prevalence and predictors of neck pain among Bangladeshi community dwellers during COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of a matched case-control data.

Abstract

This study employs a case-control design and includes 878 Bangladeshi individuals aged 18 years or older, of which 439 were post-acute COVID-19 patients. Data were collected between 24 February and 7 April 2022. Neck pain was assessed using the musculoskeletal subscale of subjective health complaints. Descriptive analysis was conducted to determine the prevalence of neck pain and to compare its prevalence across subgroups. Furthermore, multiple logistic regression analysis was utilized to identify the predictors of neck pain. Out of 878 participants, 15.1% reported experiencing neck pain. However, neck pain was significantly higher among those with post-acute COVID-19 than those without the infection (21.4% vs. 8.9%, P<0.001). An adjusted analysis found that COVID-19 infection was independently associated with neck pain (adjusted odds ratio=2.626%, 95% CI=1.666-4.140). The results of this study suggest a link between COVID-19 and neck pain. Therefore, it is recommended that healthcare service providers are prepared to manage the increased incidence of neck pain among patients who have recovered from COVID-19.