7 Feb: Study reveals 'substantial' impact of low back pain among 17-yr-olds

An Australian study has uncovered the substantial burden of low back pain among adolescents and highlighted the condition as a significant public health concern.

Researchers at Curtin University in Perth studied 1,283 young people, aged 17, who were asked about their experiences of low back pain.

They found that 12.3 per cent of participants reported having low back pain at the time of the survey, although their pain was not chronic (long-term).

A further 19.9 per cent said they had chronic low back pain at the time of the survey.

The researchers observed that low back pain was more common in women than men, and that many adolescents with low back pain also had other spinal co-morbidities.

The impact of low back pain - such as the need for medical assistance or medication, missing school, limitations on physical activity and health-related quality of life - tended to be greatest among 17-year-olds who were female, had chronic pain, or had other spinal problems.

Publishing their findings in the journal BMC Public Health, the study authors concluded that chronic low back pain has a "significant negative impact" on 17-year-olds.

They wrote: "It is commonly associated with care seeking, medication use, school absenteeism and reduced health-related quality of life.

"These findings support that adolescent low back pain is an important public health issue that requires attention."

A spokeswoman for Arthritis Research UK concurred with the findings, adding that low back pain was a vital public health issue for society as a whole, with one in eight sick days in the UK put down to back pain in later life.

The charity conducts groundbreaking research into back pain which has included the development of a tool called 'StartBack', which helps GPs provide the best care for people who develop back pain, and exploring ways in which the NHS can work with employees with back pain - and their employers - to ensure that their condition doesn't drive them away from the workplace.