Prevalence and Characteristics of Low Back Pain in Secondary School Children (Mazandaran- Iran)

Introduction: Approximately, 30-40% of general population experience at least one episode of Low Back Pain (LBP) annually. Research on LBP in adolescents is of great value, as it seems to be a major contributing factor for LBP in adulthood. This study was designed to assess LBP characteristics and its disability in Mazandaran Province secondary school children in 2004.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on secondary school children aged 11-14 years old. Random multistage sampling was performed and 5000 questionnaires were distributed among schoolchildren. The assessment of LBP characteristics and its related disability were assessed using two questionnaires. A 100 mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was applied for measuring pain intensity and LBP disability was measured by the nine activities using the modified Hanover LBP Disability Questionnaire.

Results: Of the original sample, 4813 (96.2%) children returned the questionnaires. Results showed that point prevalence of LBP was 15% and with 95% confidence interval for similar communities was estimated to be 14 to 16 %. 7.7% of students suffered from radiating pain to their legs. Among those with LBP, 60.4% reported that symptoms lasted 1-12 hours. 19.3% of children reported at least one episode of LBP in their life. The mean pain intensity on VAS was 32.8±20.48 mm. Of those with LBP, 100% also reported having difficulty with at least one of the nine activities on the modified Hanover LBP disability questionnaire. Sitting on a chair lasting for 45 minutes in classroom (33%) and standing up from armchair at home (5.8%) were the most and the least disabling factors respectively.

Conclusion: The results suggested that the prevalence and disability rate of LBP in secondary schoolchildren is high. Therefore, further studies looking at the effect of different preventive strategies at home and school is recommended.