The purpose of this survey was to find out the experience of low back pain and related factors in high school students, and to provide informations for developing the prevention program of the low back pain.
The subjects of this study were 294 male and femail students of 6 high schools in Taegu. The data were collected from July, 31 to August, 10, 1998. The data were analyzed in Frequency, percentile scores, x2-test in SPSS Win 9.0 program.
The results were as follows:
1. Among 294 of subjects, the prevalence rate of the low back pain showed 49.3%.
2. In relation to general characteristics, age(p=0.000), sex(p=0.0002) were significant.
3. In relation to daily activities and habits, the level of fatigue(p=0.013), back posture(p=0.000), eating habits(p=0.009), constipations(p=0.004) and clothing (p=0.022) were significant
4. In relation to enviroment, height of washstand(p=0.014), transportation(p=0.017), the amount of time spent coming from and going to school(p=0.029), height of chairs(p=0.047), type of shoes(p=0.036) and weight of school back packs(p=0.000) were significant.
5. In the characteristics of the low back pain group, over 80% the subjects had experience low back pain. From the self reported etiology, there are many causes recognized from the study. There are sitting in chairs for long periods of time, dscomfort of the sxhool desks and chairs, overloaded school back packs, stress and trauma of the back in past period. The experience of having been given information about the management of low back pain was only 54.8% and the sources for the information were 37.4% from the public mass media, 7.2% from other sourses.
The results of this study pointed out that the prevalence rate of low back pain among high school students in Taegu was relation to western changing of diets, constipation, inappropriate sitting posture, uncomfortable shoes and clothing, height of chairs and tables, weight of school bags, and transportations. The proper prevention and early management of the low back pain are important because low back pain disturbs students´ school life.
Therefore, educational programs and policy for preventing low back pain are necessary for the change of daily activity havits of students and improvement of school environment.
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