Prevalence of back pain, functional disability, and spinal postural changes

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of back pain, disability, and postural changes in the spines of adults of different ages and with different levels of body mass index (BMI). Methodology: A total of 534 users of the Brazilian Public Health System in Porto Alegre, Brazil, were included in the study. An evaluation of the thoracic and lumbar spine was performed using the Flexicurve instrument. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the calculation of prevalence ratios (PR) and their respective confidence intervals of 95% (CI 95%). Three analyses were performed with the dependent variables pain, functional disability, and posture. Results: A significant association between pain and female gender (p = 0.000), and pain and change in the lumbar spine (p = 0.014) were found. The variable disability was associated with BMI (p = 0.004) and age (p = 0.001). When we analyzed postural change, an association was found only with age group (p = 0.032). Conclusion: These findings highlight the need for prevention and primary care educational programs aimed at reducing postural aberrations in the adult population.