Increase of chronic low back pain prevalence in a medium-sized city of southern Brazil

Abstract

BackgroundChronic low back pain (CLBP) is a highly disabling morbidity with high social, economic and individual effects. Demographic, occupational and behavioral changes that took place in Brazil over the last decade are related with an increasing burden of chronic conditions. Despite these changes, comparison studies on CLBP prevalence and associated factors, over time are scarce in the literature in general, and unknown in Brazil. The present study compared the CLBP prevalence in a medium sized city in Brazil between the years 2002 and 2010 and examined factors associated with prevalence in 2010.MethodsTwo cross-sectional studies with similar methodology were conducted in a medium-sized city in southern Brazil, in 2002 and 2010. 3182 individuals were interviewed in the first study and 2732 in the second one, all adults aged twenty years or more. Those who reported pain for seven weeks or more in the last three months in the lumbar region where considered cases of CLBP.ResultsThe CLBP prevalence increased from 4.2% to 9.6% in 8 years. In most of the studied subgroups the CLBP prevalence has at least doubled and the increase was even larger among younger individuals with more years of education and higher economic status.ConclusionsIncrease in CLBP prevalence is worrisome because it is a condition responsible for substantial social impact, besides being an important source of demand for health services.

Prevalence of low back pain in different educational levels: a systematic review

“…Studies with other aims have also described associations with education [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48]. Studies assessing the prevalence of LBP reported associations with educational level, even though this was not their primary search goal [49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58]. Further studies having as their primary aim the investigation of the association of educational level attained or number of years of education with other variables are therefore needed to increase the number of studies eligible for meta-analysis that correlate education with the occurrence of LBP.…”

Chronic low back pain among tobacco farmers in southern Brazil

“…Population-based studies have shown that CLBP prevalence ranges from 1.0 to 25.6%, with some studies suggesting an increasing prevalence in the general adult population. 4,5 In urban occupations, CLBP prevalence ranges from 1.8% among industry workers in Russia to 19.4% among civil servants in Brazil. 6,7 Only one study from Thailand reported CLBP prevalence of 46.3% among rice farmers.…”

“…5,15 Respondents reporting pain in the lumbar region were asked the following question: ''In the last year, have you continuously felt this pain for 3 months (90 days)?'' Subjects answering positively were considered to have CLBP.…”

Low Back Pain in Adolescents: A School Screening

“…1 It constitutes an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience as a result of installed or potentialtissue injury, which can be characterised as a biopsychosocial disorder. 2 Low back pain affects approximately 80-85% of people around the world during their life and in developed countries is a major cause of disability in youth and young adults, being considered as one of the greatest contributors to sick leave [3][4][5] .…”