ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Back pain is one of the main causes of disability worldwide, resulting in higher rates of work absenteeism and years lived with disability. This study aimed to evaluate back pain prevalence and its associated factors in Primary Health Units (PHU) users.
METHODS:
A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted at PHU located in Pelotas, Brazil. Fifteen individuals of each PHU, aged 18 years or more, were interviewed (n=540). Back pain was defined as pain in one to three back areas (neck, dorsal and lumbar). Demographic, economic, behavioral, nutritional status (body mass index) and health characteristics were assessed as covariates. Poisson regression was used to estimate the prevalence ratio and 95% confidence intervals.
RESULTS:
Prevalence of back pain in PHU users was 20% (95%CI 16.8 - 23.6). Fair (PR 2.66 95%CI 1.00 - 7.09) and poor (PR 3.65 95%CI 1.31 - 10.16) self-perceived health, musculoskeletal disease (RP 2.71 95%CI 1.84 - 3.98) and current smoking (PR 1.71 95%CI 1.18 - 2.47) were associated with back pain.
CONCLUSION:
Back pain is a common problem in PHU users in Brazil. Patients with musculoskeletal disease, who are current smokers and have a poor self-perceived health, are more likely to experience back pain.
Keywords:
Back pain; Chronic pain; Unified Health System