Non-specific low back pain misconceptions are common among Austrian medical students - a cross-sectional study

Healthcare practitioners' beliefs and attitudes towards non-specific low back pain (ns-LBP) directly influence patients' beliefs, which in turn shape their pain experience, clinical course, and treatment outcomes. This study assessed Austrian medical students' beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions regarding ns-LBP.

We conducted a cross-sectional online survey among preclinical (1st-4th semester), clinical (5th-8th semester), and final-year (9th-12th semester) medical students at all public and private universities in Austria. Participation was voluntary, and recruitment was via email invitation. Beliefs and attitudes toward ns-LBP were assessed using the Back Beliefs Questionnaire (BBQ) and the Health Care Providers' Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS).

A total of 409 students completed the survey (63.4% female). Mean BBQ scores were higher in the final-year group compared to the preclinical group, indicating slightly more positive beliefs. The HC-PAIRS scores also differed across semesters, reflecting variation in the understanding of pain and impairment. Despite these differences, the overall scores still indicated predominantly negative perceptions of ns-LBP.

In our large, multi-university sample of Austrian medical students, negative beliefs about the prognosis and consequences of ns-LBP were common. Many students equated pain with disability and structural damage, reflecting a predominantly biomedical understanding. Perceptions tended to be somewhat more accurate among final-year students compared to those in earlier semesters, but overall, negative and biomedical views persisted. These findings highlight the need to examine current undergraduate curricula to assess whether they adequately address contemporary concepts of ns-LBP.