Low back pain (LBP) is common in adult population, and it is becoming a serious health concern in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of nonspecific LBP and associated risk factors in school-age children. After ethical approval, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 5000 randomly recruited secondary schoolchildren aged 11-14 years in the north of Iran. A structured questionnaire including questions concerning demographic, mechanical, and lifestyle data as well as the prevalence and characteristics of LBP was used. Of the original sample, 4813 (96.2%) children returned the questionnaire. Point, last month, last 6 months, and annual prevalence were 15%, 14.4%, 15.6%, and 17.4%, respectively. No association was found between school bag weight and prevalence of LBP (P=0.824). Low back pain was significantly correlated with age (P=0.000), position and time spent watching television (P=0.028 and P=0.002, respectively), position and duration of homework (P=0.021 and P=0.012, respectively). There was no association between LBP and body mass index (P=0.596) or between LBP and sex (P=0.412). The results indicated that the prevalence of LBP in schoolchildren is relatively high. Further studies focusing on the effect of different preventive strategies to reduce the impact of such a problem in schoolchildren is strongly recommended.

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The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence and risk factors for low back pain (LBP) in nursing personnel and to analyze how individual and occupational characteristics contribute to the risk of LBP. Following ethical approval, 1226 nurses were randomly recruited from 13 general hospitals in northern Iran. Different questionnaires were designed to cover personal and professional data, the prevalence, and associations of risk factors with LBP. Results indicated that prevalence of LBP in nurses was over 50%. Lifting was the most common mechanism for LBP (30.4%). Prolonged standing and rest were found to be the significant aggravating and relieving factors (57.6% and 59.2%, respectively). Absence from work because of LBP in the month before the questionnaire was completed was reported by 33.7% of the sample. The results demonstrate that the magnitude of LBP among nursing personnel appears to be high and therefore more resources should be allocated to prevent such an injury occurring in the nursing profession.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease and has the highest rate of prevalence among rheumatic inflammatory diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Benson Relaxation Technique (BRT) combined with medication on disease activity in patients with RA. Following ethical approval, 50 consecutive matched patients were selected and allocated into two groups, either an experimental or a control group. Patients in the experimental group received BRT combined with medication and patients in the control group were given only medication. Clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, anxiety, depression and feeling of well-being were measured before and after intervention to evaluate the effect of BRT. There was a significant difference between the two groups in anxiety, depression and feeling of well-being. Changes in clinical symptoms and laboratory findings were not large enough to be statistically significant between the two groups, but they indicated decline in disease progress. The results demonstrate that BRT can be an effective technique in reducing disease process in patients suffering from RA. However, in order to support the findings of this trial, studies with large sample size and > 8-week intervention are recommended.

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