Objective: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) among medical college students in their last three academic years and assess the risk factor of LBP among medical college students at Taif University, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey-based study. The target population for this study was Taif University medical students, involving a total of 50% of medical (clinical) students studying in the period from June 1 to August 1, 2023. The participants included were undergraduate medical students with an onset of LBP. Data were collected through an online survey.
Results: The study found that 95.2% of the participants had never been hospitalized for LBP, but 24.1% missed a day of work due to it. The duration of pain varied, with 47.0% having lasting pain of 1-3 days and 22.3% having lasting pain of 8-30 days. Only 3.0% reported daily back pain. The LBP affected 28.5% of home and college work and 14.6% of leisure activities, with 11.7% impacting all activities. With p-values of 0.012 and 0.027, respectively, gender and age had a significant relationship with LBP, while the intensity of pain was significantly related to participant weight. Furthermore, 21.9% sought medical attention for LBP.
Conclusion: The study revealed that LBP is a prevalent issue, affecting many participants, leading to work absenteeism and limited daily activities. Most of them did not seek medical treatment. The link between gender, age, weight, and pain underscores the need for further research and prevention.
Key words: Prevalence, correlation, low back pain, clinical, medical students
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