Research Paper Title

A retrospective cross-sectional survey of non-specific lower back pain among a cohort of Chinese army soldiers.

Background

Nonspecific lower back pain (LBP) has been a major public health problem in western countries since the second half of the 20 t h century. The trend has expanded to non-western countries, and LBP is currently a significant cause of disability in the working population.

Therefore, the objective of this research was to investigate the prevalence of nonspecific lower back pain (LBP) and its risk factors among soldiers in the Chinese army.

Methods

A total of 2876 Chinese army soldiers were requested to complete a self-administered questionnaire on demographic, anthropometric factors, and their non-specific LBP symptoms. The LBP evaluation and risk factor analysis were based on the self-questionnaire survey.

Results

The prevalence of non-specific LBP with physical state, one-child family, educational status, resident location and ethnicity were not associated (P > 0.05); while smoking, LBP history, LBP family history, nightmare frequency, sleep quality, and self-perceived fitness had significant effects on LBP (P < 0.05, Table 2).

Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that smoking (OR = 2.153,95% CI = 1.045-4.433), History of LBP (OR = 2.503,95% CI = 1.580-3.966), LBP family history (OR = 1.615,95%CI = 1.015-2.572), nightmare frequency (OR = 3.386, 95% CI = 2.047-5.603), sleep quality (OR = 2.391, 95% CI = 1.085-5.269) and self-perceived fitness (OR = 1.93,95%CI = 1.045-3.765) had significant effects on LBP (P < 0.05)) (Table 3).

Conclusions

Smoking, history of LBP, LBP family history, nightmare frequency, sleep quality, self-perceived fitness were important factors in the occurrence and persistence of LBP.

Reference

Wei, G., Li, H., Wang, B., Wu, J., Wu, F. & Lin, Z. (2018) A retrospective cross-sectional survey of non-specific lower back pain among a cohort of Chinese army soldiers. International Journal of Surgery (London). 56, pp.288-293. doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2018.06.023. Epub 2018 Jun 19.