Background:
Evidence suggests links between several health conditions and lumbopelvic pain (LPP) in women beyond the commonly associated musculoskeletal origins of LPP.
Objective:
This study explored the association of LPP with general health conditions, stress, exercise, and socioeconomic status in Indian women.
Methods:
In a cross-sectional study, 500 urban women from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds were asked to fill out a self-report questionnaire that sampled their health and reproductive status.
Results:
Women sampled were in the age range of 18-62 years. Overall, the prevalence of LPP was found to be 76.8% and was predominantly observed in women from the lower socioeconomic strata (70.5%), compared to women from the higher strata (29.4%). Multivariate logistic regression identified gynecological issues, such as menstrual problems (O.R.= 472.86, p<0.0001); polycystic ovarian syndrome (O.R.= 125.04, p=0.010); and health issues, such as urinary incontinence (O.R.=3078.24, p=0.001); chronic cough (O.R.= 84.97, p<0.0001); stress (O.R.= 474.27, p<0.0001) as being significantly related to LPP. Additionally, ‘no exercise’ (O.R.= 360.15, p <0.0001) was also strongly associated with LPP.
Conclusion:
Our data suggest that LPP is a significant problem in Indian women, with a greater prevalence in women from the lower strata of society. Importantly, given that several general, gynecological health issues, psychological stress, and a lack of exercise are associated with it, there is a need for LPP sensitization at a community and public health level. Regarding its prevention and long-term management, it is important to rule out and consider the impact of these factors on LPP, beyond its musculoskeletal origins.
In general, women appear to report lumbopelvic pain (LPP) more frequently. In addition to the biomechanical risks, this systematic review aimed to identify the add-on biopsychosocial implications of LPP among women in the Indian community. PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, PEDro, and Google Scholar were searched twice from inception to a final systematic literature search in December 2022. All studies addressing Indian women with LPP were selected. Studies on non-musculoskeletal LPP were excluded. Qualities of non-experimental and experimental research articles were assessed through the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist and Cochrane risk of bias criteria for Effective Practice and Organization of Care reviews respectively. Data synthesis was narrative as the selected studies differed substantially. Habitual squatting, kneeling, and continuous sitting were identified as ergonomic risks to LPP. Menopause, cesarean, and multiple deliveries influence the onset of LPP among women. There is a severe deficit in data about the musculoskeletal implications of LPP. There are insufficient data present to summarize the biopsychosocial risks of LPP. Even the exact anatomical sites of LPP were not described in most articles. Due to the severe scarcity of data, there is an alarming need to explore the musculoskeletal as well as psychosocial consequences of LPP in Indian women. Among rural women, LPP was common in those working as laborers; which are physically robust jobs with respect to strength and anthropometrics of women. Domestic chores in India involve a lot of manual work; placing unequal loads on the lumbar spine, eventually resulting in LPP. Therefore ergonomic strategies for women should be designed to meet the needs and demands of their respective occupations as well as domestic chores.
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