PREVALENCE OF LOW BACK PAIN IN UNIVERSITY

GOING STUDENTS
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Low back pain is one of the most frequent problems dealt by health care providers,
regardless of culture, work performance and it also interferes with the quality of life.
Consequences of low back pain may be more than just physical pain. It can have an
intense effect on the mood as well as compromising the sleep and appetite.

OBJECTIVE:
Finding out the prevalence of Low back pain among university students of Rawalpindi
and Islamabad.

PURPOSE:
To create awareness of risk factors, causes and impacts of low back pain among
university students that decrease the individual’s productivity and becomes root cause
of certain health conditions such as sciatica, disc herniation or disc degeneration.

METHODOLOGY:
A descriptive cross sectional survey based on modified questionnaire among 120
students of Rawalpindi and Islamabad universities. Duration of study was 6 months
(October 2018-March 2019).Only the students that were in 2nd year of study or onwards
were included whereas the ones in first year or married students were excluded. The
data was analyzed using SPSS. Before doing the survey a pilot study was conducted
among 20 students.

RESULTS: Out of 120 university students 78 students were having low

back pain which accounted a prevalence of 65% where as 42 students did
not have low back pain (prevalence 35%).

INTERPRETATION:
Age of participants: about 62.5% students were in the age group of 20-22
making the majority, those between ages 17-19 were 20% and only 17.5%
were aged between 23-25.
Gender of participants: the majority of the participants were female 55.8%
whereas male participants made up 44.2%.

Discipline of students: MBBS 2.5%, AHS 15.0%, BSE 29.2%,

Management Sciences 15.8% and others 37.5%.

BMI of participants: underweight 30.0%, normal 62.5, overweight 2.5%

and obese 6.0%.

Study year: 40.8% participants were in 2nd year of study, 39.2% were in 3rd
year and only 20.0% participants were in 4th year of study.

Complain of low back pain: Out of 120 university students 78 students

were having low back pain which accounted a prevalence of 65% where as
42 students did not have low back pain (prevalence 35%).

Last episode of low back pain: 78 (65%) participants had episodes of low
back pain reported more than 12 months ago 5 (4.2%), past 12 months 4
(3.3%), past 6 months 6 (5.0%), last month 22 (18.3%), 21 (17.5%) got last
week, while 20 (16.7%) suffered low back pain at the moment of survey.
Whereas , 42 (35%) participants did not have past episode of low back
pain.

Intensity of low back pain: To determine intensity of back pain among

teachers we used NPRS scale (numeric pain rating scale). On this scale
out of 78 (65%) participants, 16 (13.3%) respondents
marked between 0-3, 38 (31.7%) marked between 4-6 and only 24 (20.0%)
marked 7 to 10 respectively, while 42 participants (35%) did not have any
pain.
Nature of low back pain: Out of 78 (65%) having low back pain, 21
(17.5%) had continuous pain and 57 (47.5%) had intermitted low back pain.

Frequency of low back pain: Out of 78 (65%) having low back pain, 9
(7.5%) had low back pain once in 6 month period, 3 (2.5%) once every 3-6
months, 17 (14.2%) once per month, 8 (6.7%) once every 2 weeks, 30
(25.0%) 1-3 times per week and 11 (9.2%) had low back pain every day.
Duration: Out of 78 (65%) having low back pain, 1 (8%) participant’s pain
lasted one week, 4 (3.3%) lasted 4-5 days, 20 (16.7%) lasted 2-3 days and
majority 53 (44.2%) had pain duration of a few hours to one day.

Causes: Out of 78 (65%) having low back pain, 28 (23.3%) pain started
spontaneously, 5 (4.2%) due to motor vehicle accidents, 8 (6.7%) due to
sports injury, 11 (9.2%) had other causes like history of fall etc. Whereas,
21 (17.5%) participants did not know what started their low back pain and
only 5 (4.2%) participants couldn’t remember.

Frequency of exercise: Out of 78 (65%) having low back pain, 27 (22.5%)

participants never exercised, 27 (22.5%) exercised less than one time per
week, 16 (13.3%) 2-3 times per week, 3 (2.5%) 4-5 times per week and 5
(4.2%) exercised more than 5 times per week.

Duration of exercise of all participants: 44 (36.7%) participants never

exercised, 46 (3.3%) exercised less than 30 minutes, 10 (8.3%) exercised
for 30 minutes, 6 (5.0%) for 45 minutes, 10 (8.3%) for 60 minutes and 4
(3.3%) for 90 minutes.

Frequency of sitting per week in class: Out of total participants (120), 11

(9.2%) none, 5 (4.2%) once every 2 weeks, 14 (11.7%) 1-2 times per week,
24 (20.0%) 3 times per week, 30 (25.0%) 4-5 times per week and 36
(30.0%) greater than 6 times per week.

Frequency of studying per week in class: Out of total participants (120),

12 (10.0%) none, 10 (8.3%) once every 2 weeks, 23 (19.2%) 1-2 times per
week, 24 (20.0%) 3 times per week, 25 (20.8%) 4-5 times per week and 26
(21.7%) greater than 6 times per week.

Frequency of working on computer per week: Out of total participants

(120), 20 (16.7%) did not work on computer, 16 (13.3%) once every 2
weeks, 16 (13.3%) 1-2 times per week, 18 (15.0%) 3 times per week, 12
(10.0%) 4-5 times per week and 38 (31.7%) greater than 6 times per week.

Frequency of watching TV per week: Out of total participants (120), 19

(15.8%) did not watch TV, 22 (18.3%) once every 2 weeks, 14 (11.7%) 1-2
times per week, 21 (17.5%) 3 times per week, 26 (21.7%) 4-5 times per
week and 18 (15.0%) greater than 6 times per week.

Frequency of rest per week: Out of total participants (120), 9 (7.5%) did
not take rest in a week, 13 (10.8%) once every 2 weeks, 16 (13.3%) 1-2
times per week, 11 (9.2%) 3 times per week, 19 (15.8%) 4-5 times per
week and 52 (43.3%) greater than 6 times per week.

Frequency of sleep during day time: Out of total participants (120), 28

(23.3%) did not sleep during day time, 11 (9.2%) once every 2 weeks, 14
(11.7%) 1-2 times per week, 20 (16.7%) 3 times per week, 16 (13.3%) 4-5
times per week and 31 (25.8%) greater than 6 times per week.

Duration of sitting per week: Out of total 120 participants, 17 (14.2%) did
not sit in class, 9 (7.5%) duration was less than 30 minutes, 13 (10.8%)
was 30 minutes, 15 (12.5%) for 45 minutes, 12 (10.0%) for 60 minutes and
54 (45.0%) for 90 minutes or more.

Duration of studying per week: Out of total 120 participants, 9 (7.5%) did
not study, 11 (9.2%) duration was less than 30 minutes, 22 (18.8%) was 30
minutes, 27 (22.5%) for 45 minutes, 34 (28.3%) for 60 minutes and 17
(14.2%) for 90 minutes or more.

Duration of using computer per week: Out of total 120 participants, 19

(15.8%) did not use computer, 21 (17.5%) duration was less than 30
minutes, 22 (18.3%) was 30 minutes, 13 (10.8%) for 45 minutes, 13
(10.8%) for 60 minutes and 32 (26.7%) for 90 minutes or more.

Duration of watching TV per week: Out of total 120 participants, 19

(15.8%) did not watch TV, 9 (7.5%) duration was less than 30 minutes, 23
(19.2%) was 30 minutes, 20 (16.7%) for 45 minutes, 31 (25.8%) for 60
minutes and 18 (15.0%) for 90 minutes or more.

Duration of rest per week: Out of total 120 participants, 13 (10.8%) did
not rest, 10 (8.3%) duration was less than 30 minutes, 16 (13.3%) was 30
minutes, 22 (18.3%) for 45 minutes, 26 (21.7%) for 60 minutes and 33
(27.5%) for 90 minutes or more.
Duration of sleep during day time: Out of total 120 participants, 24
(20.0%) did not sleep during day time, 10 (8.3%) duration was less than 30
minutes, 16 (13.3%) was 30 minutes, 16 (13.3%) for 45 minutes, 26
(21.7%) for 60 minutes and 25 (20.8%) for 90 minutes or more.

CONCLUSION: : It is concluded that low back pain is most common

among university students because of prolong sitting for studying purposes
, working on computer and having sedentary life style. Research also
showed that some students had LBP because of unspecified reason.