P S Ebrall1. 1. School of Chiropractic and Osteopathy, RMIT, Melbourne, Australia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in an Australian metropolitan, male adolescent population. DESIGN: Self-reported, pretested questionnaire that included a definition of LBP and a description of the body area it affects. SETTING: Three government operated secondary schools in a growth corridor of north suburban Melbourne, Australia. SUBJECTS: Six hundred ten males attending secondary (high) school, aged between 12 and 19 yr. INTERVENTION: None. MAIN OBSERVATIONS: The point prevalence of LBP was found to be 16.7% and the sample prevalence 57%. The typical sufferer of adolescent LBP (ALBP) reported chronic LBP experienced up to a few days at a time, several times a month. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of ALBP found by studies in other populations is confirmed in Australia. There is a clear need for further study of the etiology and potential preventative factors of ALBP, and for consideration of whether nontraumatic occupational LBP results more from an aggravation of a preexisting (adolescent) condition than from an unsafe or unsuitable work environment.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in an Australian metropolitan, male adolescent population. DESIGN: Self-reported, pretested questionnaire that included a definition of LBP and a description of the body area it affects. SETTING: Three government operated secondary schools in a growth corridor of north suburban Melbourne, Australia. SUBJECTS: Six hundred ten males attending secondary (high) school, aged between 12 and 19 yr. INTERVENTION: None. MAIN OBSERVATIONS: The point prevalence of LBP was found to be 16.7% and the sample prevalence 57%. The typical sufferer of adolescent LBP (ALBP) reported chronic LBP experienced up to a few days at a time, several times a month. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of ALBP found by studies in other populations is confirmed in Australia. There is a clear need for further study of the etiology and potential preventative factors of ALBP, and for consideration of whether nontraumatic occupational LBP results more from an aggravation of a preexisting (adolescent) condition than from an unsafe or unsuitable work environment.
Authors: Anaclaudia Gastal Fassa; Luiz Augusto Facchini; Marinel Mór Dall'Agnol; David C Christiani Journal: Public Health Rep Date: 2005 Nov-Dec Impact factor: 2.792