Prevalence and associated factors of back pain in adults from southern Brazil: a population-based study
Gustavo D Ferreira1, Marcelo C Silva, Airton J Rombaldi
1Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. gustavodiasferreira@yahoo.com.br
Objectives:
To identify the prevalence of spinal pain and possible prognostic factors in a representative sample of Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
Methods:
Cross-sectional study evaluated 972 adults aged between 20 and 69 years, of both sexes, residents in a urban area. The questionnaire included socio-economic, demographics, behavioral and health-related questions. Spinal pain was defined as any pain or discomfort in the spine somewhere in the last 12 months, either in the cervical, thoracic or lumbar area.
Results:
The prevalence of spinal pain was 63.1% (95% CI 60.0 to 66.1) being lower back the most prevalent condition (40%). Female gender 1.24 (1.12 to 1.37) and poor health status(p<0.001) were the variables that remained associated with the presence of spinal pain in the final model.
Conclusions:
The prevalence of back pain is important as it is associated with activity limitation and with health care utilization.
