Low back pain and associated risk factors among medical students in Egypt: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent problem that affects at least 80% of all individuals at some point in their lifetime. LBP was ranked sixth in terms of global disease burden and causes more disability globally than any other condition. Therefore, this study aims to assess the prevalence of LBP and associated risk factors among medical students in Egypt. Methods: A previously validated questionnaire was adopted in our study. Quantitative data were summarized as mean and standard deviation, and the qualitative data were summarized as frequency and percentage. We used the chi-square test to detect an association between different variables and LBP at the point of data collection, 6 and 12 months. Results: The questionnaire was filled out by 576 medical students. The total prevalence of participants who reported LBP at least once was (481/576, 83.5%). The point prevalence of LBP was 52.4%, while the 6- and 12-month prevalence was 70.1% and 71.5%, respectively. LBP prevalence was significantly associated with sex, with higher prevalence in females than males at point prevalence (57.6% vs. 47%, p = 0.011) and 6-month prevalence (75.8% vs. 64.2%, p = 0.002). Furthermore, body mass index was significantly associated with LBP during the last 6 months (p = 0.01). Also, LBP was significantly associated with physical activity frequency, chair characteristics, including sitting surface and back support, rest time, and type of daily activity. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of LBP among medical students in Egypt. The point, 6= and 12-month prevalence rates underscore the persistent nature of this condition. There is a need for targeted interventions focusing on ergonomics, physical activity, and lifestyle modifications to reduce the burden of LBP and improve overall well-being. Due to the limitations of study design, future longitudinal studies are still required.