ACUTE LOW BACK PAIN AMONG BOTH MEDICAL AND NON-MEDICAL STUDENTS DURING COVID-19: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY IN JORDAN | ||||
Ain Shams Medical Journal | ||||
Volume 75, Issue 1, March 2024, Page 239-247 PDF (455.43 K) | ||||
Document Type: Original Article | ||||
DOI: 10.21608/asmj.2024.267133.1214 | ||||
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Authors | ||||
Hiba Bibay ![]() ![]() | ||||
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. | ||||
2Royal National Orthopedic Hospital NHS Trust, London UK. | ||||
3Royal Jordanian medical services, Amman, Jordan. | ||||
4Near East University, Nicosia, North Cyprus. | ||||
Abstract | ||||
Aim of the work: This study aimed to examine the prevalence and intensity of low back pain (LBP) among medical students compared to their non-medical peers at Jordanian universities. Additionally, it explored the influence of COVID-19 lockdowns on LBP frequency. Methodology: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2020 to August 2021. Data from 162 students were gathered via an online self-administered structured questionnaire. Pain characteristics were identified, and pain severity was assessed using a numeric scale of 0 to 10. Results: The mean age for medical and non-medical students was 22.29 and 22.63 years, respectively. The majority of participants in both groups were female. The prevalence of LBP was 1.20% higher in the non-medical group compared to the medical group. The pain was intermittent and more pronounced during the daytime for both groups. Among medical students who engaged in online learning, 55.0% did not report LBP. Conversely, 55.6% of non-medical students who participated in distant learning experienced LBP. Both groups reported similar pain severity scores: 4.27 out of 10 for medical students and 4.40 out of 10 for non-medical students. Conclusion: The prevalence of LBP among undergraduate students is notably high, especially among non-medical students. There was no observed correlation between prolonged studying hours or computer/laptop usage and the development of LBP among medical students compared to their non-medical counterparts. | ||||
Keywords | ||||
COVID-19; Low back pain; online learning; undergraduate students | ||||
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