Prevalence and correlates of low back pain among occupational therapy students in Northern Queensland
Peter A Leggat1, Derek R Smith, Michele J Clark
1School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia. Peter.Leggat@jcu.edu.au
Background:
Although low back pain (LBP) is an important issue for the health profession, few studies have examined LBP among occupational therapy students.
Purpose:
To investigate the prevalence and distribution of LBP, its adverse sequelae; and to identify potential risk factors.
Methods:
In 2005, a self-reported questionnaire was administered to occupational therapy students in Northern Queensland.
Findings:
The 72-month period-prevalence of LBP was 64.6%. Nearly half (46.9%) had experienced pain for over 2 days, 38.8% suffered LBP that affected their daily lives, and 24.5% had sought medical treatment. The prevalence of LBP ranged from 45.5 to 77.1% (p = 0.004), while the prevalence of LBP symptoms persisting longer than two days was 34.1 to 62.5% (p = 0.020). Logistic regression analysis indicated that year of study and weekly computer usage were statistically-significant LBP risk factors.
Implications:
The occupational therapy profession will need to further investigate the high prevalence of student LBP identified in this study.