Epidemiology of back pain in children and youth aged 10-19 from the area of the southeast of Poland

Psychometric properties and clinical utility of spinal health outcome measures in school-based interventions among children and adolescents: a systematic review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Spinal health in children and adolescents has global implications, impacting school attendance, academic performance and physical activity. Effective school-based interventions are essential for promoting spinal health literacy, positive behaviours and academic success.

OBJECTIVES

This review aims to collect data on school-based interventions for spinal health in children and adolescents over the past two decades. It will examine interventions such as education, exercise and appropriate furniture, focusing on outcomes including musculoskeletal pain, posture, sedentary behaviour and academic performance. Additionally, the review will describe the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the outcome measures used in these studies.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The systematic review will adhere to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, employing the PICO framework to define criteria for participants, interventions, comparisons, outcomes and study designs. Only English studies published between 2004 and 2024 will be included. Relevant databases will be searched using specific keywords derived from the PICO framework. The Critical Appraisal Tool and the COSMIN Risk of Bias tool will be used to evaluate the methodological quality and risk of bias in the selected studies. Review authors will independently assess articles, resolving discrepancies through consensus. Statistical analyses will be performed using CADIMA V.2.2.4.2 April 2023.

RESULTS

Data will be collected based on various outcome measures, evaluated with an approved checklist and presented through descriptive narratives and tables. Findings will be disseminated via conference presentations, Faculty Research Day and publication in reputable journals.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study will adhere to the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki, ensuring a rigorous approach to minimise bias and guarantee valid results. Studies will be selected based on predetermined criteria following a consistent protocol. The findings will be disseminated through presentations and publication in peer-reviewed journals.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

The systematic review protocol is registered on PROSPERO (registration number CRD42024543258), with a planned date of commencement from August 2024 to November 2024.

The prevalence of chronic pain in children and adolescents: a systematic review update and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Chronic pain, defined as persistent or recurring pain or pain lasting longer than 3 months, is a common childhood problem. The objective of this study was to conduct an updated systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of chronic pain (ie, overall, headache, abdominal pain, back pain, musculoskeletal pain, multisite/general pain, and other) in children and adolescents. EMBASE, PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched for publications between January 1, 2009, and June 30, 2023. Studies reporting population-based estimates of chronic nondisease related pain prevalence in children or adolescents (age ≤ 19 years) were included. Two independent reviewers screened articles based on a priori protocol. One hundred nineteen studies with a total of 1,043,878 children (52.0% female, mean age 13.4 years [SD 2.4]) were included. Seventy different countries were represented, with the highest number of data points of prevalence estimates coming from Finland and Germany (n = 19 each, 4.3%). The overall prevalence of chronic pain in children and adolescents was 20.8%, with the highest prevalence for headache and musculoskeletal pain (25.7%). Overall, and for all types of pain except for back pain and musculoskeletal pain, there were significant differences in the prevalence between boys and girls, with girls having a higher prevalence of pain. There was high heterogeneity (I 2 99.9%). Overall risk of bias was low to moderate. In summary, approximately 1 in 5 children and adolescents experience chronic pain and prevalence varies by pain type; for most types, there is higher pain prevalence among girls than among boys. Findings echo and expand upon the systematic review conducted in 2011.

Frequency of back pain occurrence among high school youth including their physical activity

BACKGROUND

Back pain diseases are among frequently reported health problems. Unfortunately, more often this problem also affects young people, high school students. Lifestyle that people are representing nowadays has a negative impact on their spine. Development of technology and transportation eliminates daily basic physical activity such as taking a walk to the school. Prolonged and inappropriate sitting posture during classes and using the computer at home are predisposing factors for back pain occurrence. The aim of this paper was to analyze the frequency of back pain occurrence among high school youth and attempt to relate their occurrence frequency with sex, time spent in sitting position, anthropometric parameters and physical activity of examined students.

METHODS

The examined group initially counted 272 teenagers, but ultimately 218 were taken into account for the analysis and 54 questionnaires were filled in incorrectly and rejected. All of them were high school students. Customized survey consisting of general part and closed questions regarding physical activity (subjective experience of work load) was used as an examination tool.

RESULTS

Examined youth spent on average 10.04 hours daily in a sitting position. As much as 195 (89.45%) of examined teenagers declared to experience back pain at least once in their lives. The most of teenagers (117; 53.67%) indicated lumbar spine pain. Girls more often felt spine pain issues in comparison to boys. Short stature of teenagers was often related to back pain occurrence. No correlation between time spent in sitting position and frequency of skeleton axis pain occurrence was noted. Among group of boys a relation between more frequent physical activity and less often spine pain occurrence was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Spine pain is an important health problem of examined youth, occurring more frequent among girls than boys. Body height correlate negatively with frequency of spine pain occurrence among youth. Despite spending more than 10 hours daily in sitting position by examined youth, it did not affect the frequency of back pain issues occurrence. Higher physical activity of examined boys was related to less often back pains.

Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders among General and Technical Secondary School Students in Egypt

(1) Background: Children spend a lot of time within schools. The school setting generally has many ergonomic hazards and reinforced behavior patterns which put children at greater risk of environmental hazards than adults during their critical developmental stages. (2) Objective: The aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and detect spinal deformities amongst general and technical secondary school students. (3) Methods: A total of 418 students from the second grade of secondary school in Shaquira governorate, Egypt participated in this cross-sectional study. Each student in the study was screened via Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and had their upper limb posture measured via RULA (Rapid Upper Limb assessment), and the deviation in their thoracic curve was measured using a scoliometer. (4) Results: There was a prevalence of MSDs amongst students as there were 69.7% of general school students and 83.8% of the technical school students suffering from MSDs with a statistically significant difference between both technical and general school students in RULA score and musculoskeletal complaints, whereas there were non-statistical differences in the scoliometer scale in both general and technical education students. (5) Conclusions: Musculoskeletal problems are prevalent among Egyptian secondary school students, with higher prevalence between technical school students. Therefore, preventive measures and strategies are recommended to overcome the future complications of these musculoskeletal disorders.

Narrative review of the prevalence and distribution of acute pain in children in the self-care setting

Acute pain among children is common, yet it may be underestimated and undertreated if the pain is not recognized. Assessing and managing pediatric pain can be complicated, and as such, measuring the prevalence of acute pain in children can be challenging. We sought to provide a consolidated review of the available data on the prevalence of commonly occurring acute pain in children in the self-care setting. An extensive literature search was performed to determine the prevalence of acute pain at multiple bodily locations in children aged between 3 months and 18 years. We considered the influence of age, sex, and sociodemographic factors on prevalence estimates. We also sought to identify some of the challenges involved in assessing and managing pediatric pain, thus shedding light on areas where there may be clinical and medical unmet needs. In general, a high prevalence of acute pain in children was detected, particularly headache, menstruation-related pain, and dental and back pain. Older age, female sex, and lower socioeconomic status were associated with increased pain prevalence. Risk factors were identified for all pain types and included psychological issues, stress, and unhealthy lifestyle habits. Owing to the heterogeneity in study populations, the prevalence estimates varied widely; there was also heterogeneity in the pain assessment tools utilized. The paucity of information regarding pain prevalence appears to be out of proportion with the burden of acute pain in children. This could indicate that clinicians may not be equipped with an optimal pain management strategy to guide their practice, especially regarding the use of developmentally appropriate pain assessment tools, without which prevalence data may not be captured. If acute pain is not accurately identified, it cannot be optimally treated. Further investigation is required to determine how the information from prevalence studies translates to the real-world setting.

Neurodynamic Functions and Their Correlations with Postural Parameters in Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis

Knowledge about neurodynamic functions of the nervous system (NS) in patients with idiopathic scoliosis (IS) is limited. This study aimed to assess the mechanosensitivity of the NS structures (MNS) in adolescents with IS. The study included 69 adolescents with IS and 57 healthy peers aged 10–15 years. The Upper Limb Neurodynamic Test 1 (ULNT1), straight leg raise (SLR) test, and slump test (SLUMP) were used to assess MNS. The spinal curvatures in the sagittal plane and selected ranges of motion were measured. The data were analysed using the Mann–Whitney U test and Spearman’s rank correlation. Increased MNS assessed by ULNT1 and SLUMP tests was observed in participants with IS. Values of the neurodynamic tests correlated significantly with the sagittal profile of the spine and the mobility of the spine and lower limbs in both groups. In conclusion, increased MNS occurs in adolescents with IS. Therefore, the examination of adolescents with IS should include an assessment of MNS with the neurodynamic tests. Future studies should investigate this issue to better understand the mechanisms that coexist with IS.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Back Pain in Children and Adolescents from the Region of Murcia (Spain): ISQUIOS Programme

Puberty is a vulnerable period for musculoskeletal disorders due to the existence of a wide inter-individual variation in growth and development. The main objective of the present study was to describe the prevalence of back pain (BP) in the past year and month in school-aged children according to sex, age, maturity status, body mass index (BMI) and pain characteristics. This study involved 513 students aged between 9 and 16 years. Anthropometric measures were recorded to calculate the maturity stage of the students using a regression equation comprising measures for age, body mass, body height, sitting height and leg length. An ad hoc questionnaire composed of eight questions was used to describe BP prevalence in school-aged children. The results showed that the prevalence of BP in school-aged children was observed in 35.1% over the last year (45% boys and 55% girls), and 17.3% (40.4% boys and 59.6% girls, with an association found between female sex and BP) in the last month. The prevalence of back pain in the past year and month was higher the older the students were, or the more pubertal development they had experienced. The prevalence of BP in the last year was also higher in those with overweight or obesity. After adjustment for sex, there was an association between BP and older age and higher BMI in boys and an association between BP and higher pubertal development in girls. In summary, the present study showed that the prevalence of BP was related to the maturity stage and weight of the participants, with different prevalence patterns found according to sex.

Back pain in physically inactive students compared to physical education students with a high and average level of physical activity studying in Poland

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study was (1) to characterise back pain in physically inactive students as well as in trained (with a high level of physical activity) and untrained (with an average level of physical activity) physical education (PE) students and (2) to find out whether there exist differences regarding the declared incidence of back pain (within the last 12 months) between physically inactive students and PE students as well as between trained (with a high level of physical activity) and untrained (with an average level of physical activity) PE students.

METHODS

The study included 1321 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-year students (full-time bachelor degree course) of Physical Education, Physiotherapy, Pedagogy as well as Tourism and Recreation from 4 universities in Poland. A questionnaire prepared by the authors was applied as a research tool. The 10-point Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to assess pain intensity. Prior to the study, the reliability of the questionnaire was assessed by conducting it on the group of 20 participants twice with a shorter interval. No significant differences between the results obtained in the two surveys were revealed (p < 0.05).

RESULTS

In the group of 1311 study participants, 927 (70.7%) respondents declared having experienced back pain within the last 12 months. Physically inactive students declared back pain frequency similar to the frequency declared by their counterparts studying physical education (p > 0.05). Back pain was more common in the group of trained students than among untrained individuals (p < 0.05). Back pain was mainly located in the lumbar spine.

CONCLUSIONS

A frequent occurrence of back pain (70.7%) was noted in the examined groups of students. The percentage of students declaring back pain increased in the course of studies (p < 0.05) and, according to the students' declarations, it was located mainly in the lumbar spine. No significant differences regarding the incidence of back pain were found between physically inactive students and physical education students (p > 0.05). The trained students declared back pain more often than their untrained counterparts (p < 0.05).

[Factors associated with back pain in adolescents from public schools in one city from South Brazil]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of back pain and associated factors in children attending public schools from South Brazil.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study, conducted between May-July 2014, where a random sample of 619 adolescents, aged 10-17 years of age, was evaluated. The prevalence of back pain was assessed using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, and the independent variables (demographic and biological information, the way of transporting school supplies, and pain during and after the walk) were obtained through a standardized questionnaire. The Poisson regression model was used to estimate unadjusted and adjusted prevalence of back pain in association with the factors investigated.

RESULTS

The prevalence of back pain was 45.2 %, out of which 64.6 % reported pain in one region, 27.1 % in two and 8.3 % in the three regions investigated. After an individual assessment of regions, it was found that the highest prevalence of pain relates to the dorsal region (26.2 %). The most relevant associated factors include female gender (OR=1.43, 95 %CI 1.19-1.74; p<0.01), age between 14 and 17 (OR=1.22; 95 %CI = 1.03-1.45; p=0.02), and dark skin (OR=1.20, 95 %CI 1.01-1.43; p=0.04).

CONCLUSION

The results highlight the need for greater attention to adolescents complaining of back pain, in order to prevent the presence of this chronical disorder in adolescence and later in adulthood. Therefore, it is necessary to educate adolescents and their guardians for the stimulation and consequent adoption of healthy practices for musculoskeletal integrity.

EPIDEMIOLOGY OF MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Introduction:

Musculoskeletal disorders represent a significant problem of modern society which are more pronounced in young people and school children. Etiology of these disorders is found in inadequate ergonomic conditions, too heavy school bag, school furniture inadequate to age, poor posture, sedentary lifestyle, reduction of physical activity and lack of exercise.

Material and methods:

This cross-sectional study included 1315 pupils aged 8- 12 years. As a method was used “cluster sample” in the selection of subjects. The survey was conducted by questionnaire containing information on the demographic and individual characteristics of participants (age, gender, class), the manner and style of life and the performance of school tasks, followed by standardized Nordic questionnaire. The following parameters were measured: body height and weight for each student, and the weight of full and empty school bag that students that day brought to class.

Results:

The incidence of musculoskeletal pain regardless of localization was 48%. There is a statistically significant correlation between acute pain in the right shoulder and total weight of school bags, duration of caring the bag in school and time of wearing bag from school to home but not with the manner in which school bag was carried. Acute pain in the right shoulder and acute neck pain were significantly associated with the duration of sitting in school or in front of a computer at home. Acute pain in the shoulder negatively correlated with BMI percentile value of the respondents. Acute pain in the neck is also significantly associated with the weight of a full school bags, as well as time spent sitting at home doing homework. Acute back pain is statistically significantly correlated with the weight of school bags and duration of sitting periods in school.

Conclusion:

The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, particularly chronic pain in school children aged 8-12 years is high. Weight of school bags, manner in which the bag is carried to and from school, duration of carrying bags, time spent sitting in the school and in front of the computer, duration of sitting and posture during homework, body mass index are ergonomic reasons for the development of musculoskeletal pain.

Back pain in Poland and Germany: a survey of prevalence and association with demographic characters

Background. Back pain is the most common form of pain and leads to high costs in all medical care systems. Objective. The present study examines the prevalence of back pain and its associations with some basic demographics. Methods. Two samples from Poland and Germany (about n = 500 each) were examined via Internet regarding back pain, gender, age, and body mass index (BMI). Results. Back pain is more common in women than in men (risk ratio about 1.7), and a high BMI constitutes an additional risk factor. Age was not related to back pain prevalence. Conclusion. Congruent results in two countries based on the same measure of back pain lead to the assumption that much of the variety found in estimates of back pain are due to inconsistent assessment. For future research, a definition of common criteria on how to assess back pain would be an asset.