PREVALENCE AND THE ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS OF LOW BACK PAIN AMONG ACADEMIC STAFF AT MAJMAAH UNIVERSITY, SAUDI ARABIA

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions worldwide, presenting a significant economic burden in terms of lost income, care, and compensation. It has a major effect on people's quality of life. Methodology: This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted among academic teaching staff at Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia, to estimate the prevalence and risk factors associated with LBP. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to collect the required data from the university teaching staff. Results: A total of 290 participants were included; 72.1% were males and with a mean age (40.72 ± 6.42). The prevalence of LBP was 85.9%. There was a significant association between the frequency of LBP and years of experience (P=0.000), average working hours per day (P=0.024), hours spent sitting daily (P=0.000), moving around during office hours (P=0.000), and leaving the work due to back pain (P=0.000). Conclusion: A high LBP prevalence among the academic teaching staff at Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia, was reported. Males, non-Saudi, smokers, and participants with long years of experience were more frequent to have LBP. Sitting position for long hours is associated with a higher risk of LBP. Patients with diabetes, hyperparathyroidism, osteoporosis, musculoskeletal disorders, and calcium deficiency were significantly associated with higher LBP prevalence.

Keywords; low back pain, prevalence, University teaching staff, Saudi Arabia