Low Back Pain in Medical Students: Prevalence and Related Factors

Abstract

Objective To identify the prevalence of low back pain and related factors among graduate medical students, and to measure the level of disability that this pain can cause in these students. Methods Data were collected virtually, through Google Forms. After signing an Informed Consent Form (ICF), the participants responded to a sociodemographic survey, and those who reported having low back pain responded to the Oswestry Disability Index. The data analysis was conducted in three stages, through the R Core Team 2020 statistic program, open-source and free software. The Chi-square Test and Fisher’s Exact Test were used in the second and third stages. Results The study was composed of 200 participants, of whom 58% reported lumbar pain. Of those with pain, 94% had minimum scores on the disability scale. None of the variables showed a relevant connection, though BMI, sex, and use of Alcohol were notable for achieving p-values of around 0.05 or higher. Conclusion The prevalence of lumbar pain among the medical students was 58%, and no specific risk factors were identified. Furthermore, 94% of the students who reported lumbar pain had a minimum disability score and 6% a moderate score. None of the participants presented severe or greater disability. Level of evidence II; A descriptive cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach.