Adolescent low back pain among secondary school students in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background: Adolescent low back pain (ALBP) can be considered a signal or precursor of a serious organic disease or telltale sign of future incidence of low back pain in adulthood. Published articles on ALBP in Nigeria are not readily available. Objectives: The study’s objectives were to investigate the prevalence of Adolescent Low Back Pain (ALBP) among secondary school students in Ibadan, Nigeria and the prevalence’s association with some socio-demographic variables. Methods: Participants were adolescent students from 15 secondary schools in Ibadan. Data was collected using a respondent-administered, validated questionnaire on low back pain in adolescents. Participants (Female: 298; Male: 273) aged 14.23 ±2.27 years (range 10-19) were recruited through multi-stage random sampling. Five hundred and seventy-one (83.97%) of the 680 copies of the questionnaire administered were returned. Data was analysed using mean, standard deviation, frequency, percentages, and Chi-square test with alpha level at 0.05. Result: Lifetime, twelve-month, one-month and point prevalence rates of ALBP were 58.0%, 43.8%, 25.6% and 14.7% respectively. Age at first experience of ALBP was 11.86 ± 2.36 years. Gender was not significantly associated with any rate (p ≥0.317). Age (p ≤ 0.043) and engagement in commercial activities (p ≤ 0.025) were significantly associated with all period prevalence rates while injury to the back was significantly associated with all period prevalence rates except point prevalence (p = 0.087). Conclusion: Adolescent low back pain is common among secondary school students in Ibadan and its prevalence is significantly associated with age and engagement in commercial activities, but not with gender.