Chronic Low Back Pain: Prevalence, Impact on Quality of Life, and Predictors of Future Disability

In primary healthcare settings, chronic low back pain (cLBP) is a widespread health issue with a great global impact.

A cross-sectional analytical study was performed on 918 adults attending primary healthcare settings in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, to estimate the cLBP prevalence, its effect on health-related quality of life (QOL), and predictors of subsequent disability. The visual analog scale of pain (VAS), World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHO-QOL), and Oswestry low back pain disability index (ODI) were used to assess back pain severity, impact on QOL, and physical disability, respectively.

The prevalence of cLBP among adults attending primary care settings in Makkah City was 25.9%, and 88.6% of them had a limited range of motion of the spine. About 58.1% had abnormal radiological findings detected by MRI. Based on the VAS scale, most patients (83.8%) had mild pain. The median (IQR) QOL score was 70 (60-80). Minimal and moderate disability scores were prevalent among 16.2% and 65.7% of patients, respectively. Disability scores were independently predicted by a lower QOL score (beta = -0.39, 95%CI = -0.49 to -0.29, p < 0.001) and higher VAS scores (beta = 0.47, 95%CI = 0.38-0.56, p < 0.001). Furthermore, disability was independently associated with having post-void residual volume (PVRV) (beta = 5.84, 95%CI = 1.97-9.72, p = 0.004) and abnormal X-ray findings (beta = 7.10, 95%CI = 1.77-12.4, p = 0.010).

cLBP is common among adults attending primary care settings in Makkah City; it is associated with moderate disability and lower health-related QOL.