Medical Science
Volume 25, Issue 115, September 2021
Low back pain among physicians, Saudi Arabia 2020
Manal Ibrahim Hanafi Mahmoud1,2♦, Assmaa Ahmed Shaker3, Rowaid Sohail Yazbik3, Mohammed Khder Alamri3, Ahmed Sameh Salem3
1Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria
University, Egypt
2Community Medicine Department, Ibn Sina National College for
Medical Studies, Jeddah, KSA
3MBBS Student, Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies, Jeddah,
KSA
♦Corresponding author
Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria
University, Egypt / Community Medicine Department,
Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies, Jeddah, KSA
ABSTRACT
Background: Low back pain is defined as pain and discomfort located below the costal border and superior to the inferior gluteal sulcus, with or without leg pain. It is an important cause of disability among physicians. Objectives: To describe the pattern of LBP among physicians and determine factors those affect it in Saudi Arabia 2020. Methods: An online survey was carried out from August through October 2020 including 213 physicians. They were divided according to their functional disability level into: group I with no disability (N=95) and group II with disability (N=118) using Oswestry questionnaire. Mean percent scores for comorbidities, obstetric and gynecological histories, Oswestry functional disability and life styles were calculated. Results: Group II mean age was substantially higher than group I [46.9 years (8.91), 41.3 years (7.52), p= 0.043]. 75.4% of group II significantly worked in surgical specialties (p=0.026). Both score percent for menopausal and menstruating females and life styles score were significantly higher in group II [52.9 (9.35), 54.1 97.53), p= 0.032, 0.023, 66.3 (11.86), p=0.045 respectively]. The overall functional disability score for group II was 59.9%. Significant predictors for LBP were: age (OR=3.8, p=0.030), specialty (OR= 2.5, p=0.005), marital status (OR= 1.6, p=0.038), obstetric and gynecological scores (OR=4.8, p=0.002), life style total score (OR= 3.2, p= 0.006), BMI (OR=2.5, p=0.01) and total comorbidity score (OR= 2.1, p=0.034). Conclusion: Predictors for LBP functional disability were age, specialty, marital status, obstetric and gynecological histories, life styles and comorbidities. Disability affects walking, sitting, standing, travelling and social life.
Keywords: Low back pain; Functional disability; Oswestry questionnaire;
Physicians
Medical Science, 2021, 25(115), 2392-2400
