Table 3. Selected personal characteristics and prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in medical students.
| With LBP (n = 104) | Without LBP (n = 395) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | Number (%) | OR (95% CI) | P | |
| Cigarette smoking (ever) | 34 (32.7) | 68 (17.2) | 2.3 [1.4–3.8] | 0.001 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | ||||
| <18.5 | 10 (9.6) | 47 (11.9) | 1.0* | |
| 18.5–24.9 | 85 (81.7) | 281 (71.1) | 1.4 [0.7–2.9] | 0.341 |
| 25.0–29.9 | 9 (8.7) | 67 (17.0) | 0.6 [0.2–1.7] | 0.355 |
| ≥30.0 | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | – | – |
| P trend | 0.075 | |||
| Motor vehicle accident | 5 (4.8) | 26 (6.6) | 0.7 [0.3–1.9] | 0.507 |
| Injuries at faculty | 8 (7.7) | 27 (6.7) | 1.1 [0.5–2.6] | 0.761 |
| Prolonged standing at faculty | 58 (55.8) | 204 (51.6) | 1.2 [0.8–1.8] | 0.454 |
| Prolonged sitting at faculty | 98 (94.2) | 336 (85.1) | 2.9 [1.2–6.8] | 0.018 |
| Incorrect body posture | 97 (93.3) | 325 (82.3) | 3.0 [1.3–6.7] | 0.008 |
| Lifting/moving heavy loads | 32 (30.8) | 116 (29.4) | 1.1 [0.7–1.7] | 0.781 |
| Stress during classes | 78 (75.0) | 223 (56.5) | 2.3 [1.4–3.8] | 0.001 |
| Conflicts at faculty | 17 (16.3) | 51 (12.9) | 1.3 [0.7–2.4] | 0.365 |
| Recreational sports | 26 (25.0) | 125 (31.6) | 0.7 [0.4–1.2] | 0.191 |
| Sport injury | 20 (19.2) | 85 (21.5) | 0.9 [0.5–1.5] | 0.611 |
| Incorrect sleeping position | 61 (58.7) | 145 (36.7) | 2.4 [1.6–3.8] | 0.008 |
| Housework (washing, etc.) | 26 (25.0) | 103 (26.1) | 0.9 [0.6–1.6] | 0.824 |
| Other domestic tasks | 14 (13.5) | 53 (13.4) | 1.0 [0.5–1.9] | 0.991 |
| Weather (e.g. cold, humidity, …) | 45 (43.3) | 145 (36.7) | 1.3 [0.8–2.0] | 0.221 |
| Draft | 63 (60.6) | 199 (50.4) | 1.5 [0.9–2.4] | 0.065 |
| Family history of LBP | 74 (71.2) | 222 (56.2) | 1.9 [1.2–3.1] | 0.006 |
| Personal medical history** | 39 (37.5) | 132 (33.4) | 1.2 [0.8–1.9] | 0.435 |
| Comorbidity*** | 11 (10.6) | 38 (9.6) | 1.1 [0.5–2.3] | 0.771 |
Notes:
*
Reference category.
**
Personal medical history positive for either one or for multiple diseases (depression, anxiety, chronic rheumatic diseases, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, surgical interventions, etc.).
***
Comorbidity, the presence of more than one disease in a personal medical history.
Abbreviations: OR, Odds Ratio; CI, Confidence Interval; P, Probability value (according to univariate logistic regression analysis); P trend, trend in risk (according to logistic regression model).