An update on the prevalence of low back pain in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analyses

Abstract

BackgroundLow back pain (LBP) remains a common health problem and one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal conditions found among developed and developing nations. The following paper reports on an updated search of the current literature into the prevalence of LBP among African nations and highlights the specific challenges faced in retrieving epidemiological information in Africa.MethodsA comprehensive search of all accessible bibliographic databases was conducted. Population-based studies into the prevalence of LBP among children/adolescents and adults living in Africa were included. Methodological quality of included studies was appraised using an adapted tool. Meta-analyses, subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses and publication bias were also conducted.ResultsSixty-five studies were included in this review. The majority of the studies were conducted in Nigeria (n = 31;47%) and South Africa (n = 16;25%). Forty-three included studies (66.2%) were found to be of higher methodological quality. The pooled lifetime, annual and point prevalence of LBP in Africa was 47% (95% CI 37;58); 57% (95% CI 51;63) and 39% (95% CI 30;47), respectively.ConclusionThis review found that the lifetime, annual and point prevalence of LBP among African nations was considerably higher than or comparable to global LBP prevalence estimates reported. Due to the poor methodological quality found among many of the included studies, the over-representation of affluent countries and the difficulty in sourcing and retrieving potential African studies, it is recommended that future African LBP researchers conduct methodologically robust studies and report their findings in accessible resources.Trial registrationThe original protocol of this systematic review was initially registered on PROSPERO with registration number CRD42014010417 on 09 July 2014.

Operationalisation of a biopsychosocial approach for the non‐pharmacological management of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review

“…Musculoskeletal disorders are a leading cause of health problems, and also contribute substantially to healthcare costs globally (Murray et al, 2012;White & Harth, 1999). It affects populations from both low-and middle-income, and high-income countries (Hoy et al, 2014;Morris, Daniels, Ganguli, & Louw, 2018;Wáng, Wáng, & Káplár, 2016). The global prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders is estimated between 20 and 33% (WHO, 2019); this is consistent with that of low-and middle-income countries (25%) (Jackson et al, 2016).…”

“…The point prevalence of LBP in low-and middle-income countries notably from Africa is estimated at 39% (Morris et al, 2018); this is higher than high-income countries such as Sweden (23.3%), Denmark (12.0-13.7%) and Canada (28.7%) (Hoy et al, 2010). The high prevalence of LBP observed in Africa may be attributed to the fact that LBP is considered a much lower priority than other health concerns such as HIV/AIDS.…”

“…The high prevalence of LBP observed in Africa may be attributed to the fact that LBP is considered a much lower priority than other health concerns such as HIV/AIDS. In addition, systems are less established, and budgets are limited; furthermore, half of the studies under review included industry-related jobs (involving labour intensive manual activity), which may have contributed to the observed high prevalence of LBP (Morris et al, 2018).…”

“…Musculoskeletal disorders therefore constitute a global burden; however, this remains less prioritised in most low-and middle-income countries especially in Africa (Morris et al, 2018). The world bank defines low and middle income, and high-income countries based on gross national income of ≤ USD$12,055 (The World Bank, 2019).…”

Knowledge of physiotherapists on the use of Muscle Energy Technique in the management of Non-Specific Low Back Pain

“…LBP affects anyone, of any gender, race or socioeconomic background [5] and has a substantial impact on the overall and nancial wellbeing of an individual and the society [4,7]. Therefore, it was postulated that the burden of LBP would be greater in lower and middle-income countries like those situated in Africa [7,8]. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2018 revealed that the lifetime, annual and point prevalence of LBP among African nations, was higher than the global LBP prevalence [9].…”