The aim of this investigation was to provide evidence of the prevalence and consequences of recurrent low-back pain in children from Northwest England. A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving a standardized questionnaire with established reliability and validity. A cross-sectional sample of 500 boys (n = 249) and girls (n = 251) aged between 10 and 16 years participated in the study. Average lifetime prevalence of low-back pain was 40.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 38.7-41.6]. Most cases of low-back pain were acute episodes that did not lead to disabling consequences. In contrast, 13.1% (95% CI = 12.5-13.7) experienced recurrent low-back pain that led to disabling consequences; 23.1% visited a medical practitioner, 30.8% experienced loss of physical activity/sports and 26.2% had been absent from school because of low-back pain. Recurrent low-back pain was particularly evident during late adolescence where one in five children were cases. The health education implications of low-back pain in children are discussed. It was concluded that low-back pain is a common complaint during childhood, although most cases are acute episodes that represent little health consequence. In contrast, some children experience recurrent low-back pain that can lead to disabling consequences. Future research should focus on recurrent low-back pain cases since they often led to disabling consequences.

This study evaluated the efficacy of an exercise programme as an intervention for recurrent non-specific low-back pain (NLSBP) in adolescents. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with an experimental group (n = 27, age 14.6 years) who participated in an 8-week exercise programme and a matched control group (n = 27, age 14.6 years) who continued normal daily activities. All participants suffered from recurrent NSLBP. Pre and post intervention measures of NSLBP status (pain severity and consequences) and daily inactivity (time spent sitting, PC time, TV time) were reported in one week diaries. Two-way mixed ANOVA (independent variables: pre/post and experimental/control) was conducted for each dependent variable, significance was set at P < 0.05. Significant interaction effects were identified for the severity of pain, number of occasions missing sport due to NSLBP and amount of sport participated in. In each case the experimental group benefited from the exercise programme. In contrast, no significant interaction effects were observed for physical inactivity, both groups spent a similar amount of time sitting, watching TV and using a PC pre- and post- intervention. It was concluded that an exercise programme acted as an effective short-term treatment strategy for NSLBP in adolescents. Further evaluation is required to assess the long-term effectiveness.

Aim: Evidence of the reliability of measurements in children is scarce, particularly in children with low‐back pain. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the measurement error associated with repeated measures of spinal mobility measures in children with and without low‐back pain by establishing 95% limits of agreement. Methods: A repeated measures study was performed involving 119 children aged 11–16 y. Of this sample 30 subjects reported recurrent low‐back pain and were classified as symptomatic, the remaining 89 subjects were asymptomatic. Standardized measures were taken, including the sit‐and‐reach test, hip range of motion (Leighton flexometer), lumbar flexibility (modified Schöber test) and lateral flexion of the spine. The same experimenter performed all testing, with 1 wk between the repeated measures. Results: Correlation coefficients suggested that all measures exhibited good reliability in both the symptomatic (r= 0.80–0.95) and asymptomatic groups (r= 0.88–0.99). In contrast, the limits of agreement showed that all measures exhibited random error. The magnitude of random error was typically greater in the symptomatic subjects, suggesting that low‐back pain may influence the reliability of typical measures used in this population. Conclusion: The magnitude of error must be interpreted in relation to analytical goals and the expected magnitude of change. In the authors' opinion the error presented appears acceptable for the serial monitoring of patients, although this will depend on the differences in mobility typically found.

Introduction: Burns is one of the foremost causes of worldwide morbidity. Changes in appearance and functional impairment causes stigmatisation, impacting socio-occupational engagement and causing discomfort. Aims and Objectives: The study examined prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in post-burn patients, their perceived social support and self-esteem. It further assessed quality of life amongst post-burn patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in a tertiary care centre where 100 patients were interviewed using purposive sampling technique over six months. Patients were administered a semi-structured questionnaire along with Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and WHO Quality Of Life – BREF (WHOQOL- BREF) scales. Contingency tables and Spearman's correlation helped to examine associations and correlations. Fischer's exact test, Mann Whitney test and ANOVA test were also used for statistical analysis. Results and Discussion: There is high prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among patients with burns. The most common disorder was major depressive episode. Low self-esteem was found in one-third of patients with burns. Patients having low self-esteem had eleven times higher prevalence of suicidality. Patients with burns had high perceived social support. Quality of life in patients with burns depends on self-esteem, perceived social support and presence of psychiatric illnesses. Conclusion: This study illustrates the need for thorough evaluation and screening in patients with burns for psychopathology and self-esteem issues by primary physicians. Behaviour therapy, supportive psychotherapy, counselling and adequate socio-occupational rehabilitation of the patient should be done. Spreading awareness and organising support groups for patients with burns at the primary health centre level can be effective.

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