Prevalence of Low Back Pain and Associated Risks in School-Age Children

Abstract

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is highly prevalent in children and adolescents, while psychosocial, anthropometric, developmental, and lifestyle factors have been associated. However, the evidence is in- consistent from a biological point of view, so identifying predictors of LBP in the 6–12 years children through physical examination should be appropriate. Aims: To estimate the prevalence of LBP and associated factors in schoolchildren in a Brazilian population. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Three schools in Botucatu, Brazil. Participants/Subjects: 377 students from 6-12 years. Methods: Data collection consisted of questions regarding personal history, socioeconomic and anthropo- metric information, kinesiologic evaluation with anthropometry, lumbar biophotogrammetry, and back- pack weight and use. Descriptive analyses were performed, and simple and multiple logistic regression models were used for risk factors. Results: The prevalence of LBP was 27.32% (confidence interval [CI] 95% = 23.07-32.03). The mean age was 8.85 years ( ±1.83) in the group with LBP and 8 years ( ±1.76) in the group without LBP ( p = .006). Variables such as backpack weight (odds ratio [OR] = 1.45, CI 95% = 1.018-2.064) and exceeding 3 hours per day in front of the television (OR = 7.97, CI 95% = 1.957-32.515) increased the chance of LBP in these students. Conclusion: LBP is prevalent in younger schoolchildren, and the factors associated with this outcome can be effectively addressed through the promotion of health measures. LBP in schoolchildren is a muscu- loskeletal discomfort that negatively affects the quality of life of these individuals and persists in adult- hood.