Low back pain prevalence in Brazil: a systematic review

The article describes the methodological quality of published studies on prevalence of low back pain in Brazil. Eighteen studies were considered eligible after searches in the following electronic databases: LILACS, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus and SciELO. A high source of bias was observed in the criteria for external validity related to sampling, in addition to non-response bias. Considering the criteria for internal validity, the main sources of bias were the lack of an acceptable definition of low back pain and the use of instruments that lacked proven reliability and validity. No representative study was found that provides a generalizable prevalence of low back pain in Brazil. The published studies included in this review showed a high risk of bias that affects the prevalence data. Future studies with appropriate methodological design are necessary to verify the real impact of low back pain in Brazil and allow comparisons.