Low Back Pain in Elderly from Belém-Pa, Brazil: Prevalence and Association with Functional Disability

This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in the elderly population living in Belém-Pará and to assess the spectrum of problems related to these diseases including the demographic, socioeconomic, occupational characteristics and disability in this population.

Three structured questionnaires were applied in a randomly selected representative sample of 512 elderly people aged ≥60 years.

LBP prevalence in the elderly population was 55.7%. Among then, 56.1% had pain at the time of the interview (punctual prevalence), 91.7% had LBP in the last 365 days (prevalence in the last year), and 85.3% at some point in life (prevalence at some point in life). Overall, most studies are above average. LBP was positively associated with hypertension and the influence of the physical and mental health on their social activities ranged from slightly to extreme. LBP was negatively associated with characteristics, such as education (over 11 years), class A or B income, physical activity, high satisfaction with previous work, and excellent self-perceived health, corroborating to the literature.

Greater intensity of pain and functional disability were associated with the presence of comorbidities, smoking habits, and low physical activity. LBP prevalence was high, above the national average, mainly affecting the underprivileged classes related to several modifiable factors, highlighting the importance of preventive and interventionist actions for healthy aging.