Prevalence of low back pain in school–age children and associated risk factors

Introduction: The occurrence of Low Back Pain (LBP) among children has almost reached the level in adult, and it is becoming a serious health concern in school-age children. Few studies documented prevalence of LBP in children in Iran. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of LBP and associated risk factors in school-age children. Methods: After ethical approval, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 1648 randomly recruited schoolchildren aged 7-15 years in the south of Iran. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were analyzed using logistic regression by SPSS software. Results: Based on the results, 1243 children reported LBP point and last month prevalence of LBP in this study was 50% and 48%, respectively. Logistic regression model showed that age, time of watching television, type of bag and position of homework are significant risk factor for LBP in children. Conclusion: The results indicated that the prevalence of LBP in schoolchildren is higher than the normal rate. Some of risk factor significantly influenced LBP in children.