Abstract

 

Original Research Article

 

Full Article (FREE D​OWNLOAD)

SMJS Volume 5 Issue 1, Page 45- Page 55

 

PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF LOW BACK PAIN AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF TABUK, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

Omnia S. El Seifi, Raghad Abdulrahman Aljohani, Abeer Zaal Albalawi, Raneem Abdulrahman Aljohani, Hadeel Abdullah Alosaimi, Norah Majed Albalawi, Manar Saud Alfaqiri, Waad Mahmoud Albalawi

 

To cite this article: El seifi OS, Aljohani RA, Alblawi AZ, Aljohani RA, Alosaimi HA, Albalawi NM, Alfaqiri MS, Albalawi WM. Prevalence and Risk Factors of Low Back Pain Among Medical Students at University of Tabuk, KSA. Saudi Med J Students. 2024;5(1):45-55

 

 

Date of Publication: January 7th, 2025

 

Objectives

Low back pain (LBP) is a common health problem worldwide that affects all ages. Medical schools tend to have lengthy curricula, enhanced use of computers in learning, and a sedentary lifestyle. All these issues raise the risk of LBP in medical students. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of LBP among medical students at the University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

 

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Male and female medical students from all academic year levels were included in the study. A self-administered online questionnaire was used for data collection.

 

Results

The prevalence of low back pain among all participants was 62.6%. The significant risk factors for the disease were; being female students (OR = 2.54, CI = 1.42-4.54), overweight and obese students (OR = 3.42, CI = 1.58-7.39) (OR= 25.02, CI = 9.76-64.06), physically inactive (OR = 2.74, CI =1.26-5.98), sitting in unhealthy positions during studying (OR = 2.64, CI = 1.22-5.71) and suffering from stress either always or sometimes (OR = 3.14, CI = 1.59-6.20) and (OR = 3.07, CI = 1.38-6.79), respectively.

 

Conclusions

The present study revealed an alarmingly high prevalence of LBP among medical students at the University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The significant risk factors for LBP are being female, obesity, sitting in an unhealthy position, physical inactivity, and stress. Medical colleges should pay attention to increasing students' awareness of this problem and implement an intervention program to enhance the students' musculoskeletal health.

 

Keywords: low back pain, medical students, prevalence, risk factors, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

 

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