Prevalence of Low Back Pain among Doctor of Physical Therapy Students

Abstract

Therapy (DPT) students in 12 month, 1 month and 7 days and its risk factors, also to find out which year
of physiotherapy study has most severe LBP.
Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the College of Physiotherapy, JPMC,
Karachi, Pakistan in January 2021. Data was collected from 115 DPT students. Students aged between
18 to 25 years were included in the survey. Nordic Back Pain Questionnaire was use to the collect data.
Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency, mean and chi- square test.
Results: Results reveals that DPT students aged between 20 and 22 were more at risk of LBP, most
commonly due to poor posture furthermore educational subjection of ‘sitting looking down’ and
‘treating patients’ were related to LBP.Strong association was found between gender and LBP during
last 12 months. Highest % of LBP during last 12 months was found in female in 1-7 days. Considering
the response of all categories of LBP prevalence (LBP in 12 months, LBP in 1 month and LBP in 7
days) we have found that in 5th year the highest prevalence of LBP was in 1 month (565.21).
Conclusion: The data suggest that LBP faced daily by many of physiotherapy students in each year
level of undergraduate program. Hence this survey concluded that awareness and knowledge regarding
proper body mechanics must be spread among DPT students so the global burden of LBP could be
reduced.