Arthritis & Rheumatism· 2012· Review
A systematic review of the global prevalence of low back pain
- 3,019citations
- 2012year
Short summary
A systematic review of 165 studies found that low back pain is a major global health issue, with an estimated point prevalence of 11.9% and a 1-month prevalence of 23.2%.
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Key points
- Low back pain is a widespread global health problem.
- Prevalence is higher in females and individuals aged 40-80.
- Estimated point prevalence is 11.9% globally.
- Estimated 1-month prevalence is 23.2% globally.
- The global number of cases is expected to rise with an aging population.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review of the global prevalence of low back pain, and to examine the influence that case definition, prevalence period, and other variables have on prevalence. METHODS: We conducted a new systematic review of the global prevalence of low back pain that included general population studies published between 1980 and 2009. A total of 165 studies from 54 countries were identified. Of these, 64% had been published since the last comparable review. RESULTS: Low back pain was shown to be a major problem throughout the world, with the highest prevalence among female individuals and those aged 40-80 years. After adjusting for methodologic variation, the mean ± SEM point prevalence was estimated to be 11.9 ± 2.0%, and the 1-month prevalence was estimated to be 23.2 ± 2.9%. CONCLUSION: As the population ages, the global number of individuals with low back pain is likely to increase substantially over the coming decades. Investigators are encouraged to adopt recent recommendations for a standard definition of low back pain and to consult a recently developed tool for assessing the risk of bias of prevalence studies.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 2012 · DOI ↗
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Field: Pharmacology (Medicine)
PharmacologyMedicine