Prevalence of lower back pain and its relation to stress among medical students in Taif University, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Lower back pain (LBP) refers to pain in the back between the last rib and the gluteal fold. Recent psychological research indicates a relevant connection between severe pain and emotional stress. The etiology of musculoskeletal pain shown to be influenced by low social support, high job demands, and low job control. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 640 medical students in Taif University was carried out from November 2018 to April 2019. A standardized Nordic questionnaire was employed to assess musculoskeletal pain and K10 was used to assess psychological stress. Results: Our study found 33.3% of medical students reported lower back pain, 20.7% reported lower back pain 0-7 days during the last 12 months, and 18.8% reported reduction of activity due to lower back pain during the last 12 months. The mean stress score was 22.7 ± 8.8; 20.7% of students with mild stress reported lower back pain. LBP showed non-significant association to stress categories (P = 0.409). Conclusions: Our survey found no significant association between LBP and psychological stress. The three main risk factors associated with lower back pain were being a 2nd year medical student, female gender, and high working hours.