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P.A. Moura1, L.A.P. de Viveiro1, K.S. Takara1, I.M.B. de Souza1, A.P. Marques1, J.E. Pompeu1
1University of Sao Paulo, Department of Physical Therapy, Speech, and Occupational Therapy, São Paulo, Brazil
Background: In Brazil, almost twelve percent of people are over 60 years old and it has been estimated that by 2025 the country will become the sixth largest population of older people in the world. The elderly population is the most affected by chronic pain, with low back pain (LBP) being the most prevalent cause of persistent pain and the main cause of disability. One in every four eldery people in Brazil has LBP and this raises concerns regarding demands on health care services and economic burden. It highlights the need to better understand the impact of LBP on functional capacity in elderly brazilians.
Purpose: To verify the prevalence and the impact of functional capacity in elderly people with LBP in São Paulo, Brazil.
Methods: We assessed community-dwelling elderly of the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, aged 60 years or more, both sex. They filled a questionnaire of sociodemographic characteristics and the reduced version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Participants with LBP also filled one item from SF-36, the Pain Numerical Rating Scale (PNR) and the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) to assess self-perceived health and functional incapacity, respectively. We also divided the sample into two groups: LBP with high disability group (LBPHD) and LBP with low disability group (LBPLD), according to RMDQ rating score of 14. Mann-Whitney test was used for non-parametric variables in two-group comparison of LBP group (LBP) and non-LBP group (NLBP). Spearman correlation coefficient was calculated between non-parametric variables. Linear regression was used for independent variables to verify if they were predictive of functional incapacity. A statistical significance level of 0.05 was adopted for all tests.
Results: We assessed 710 elderlies, 78,3% (n=556) female and 21,7% (n=154) male, mean age of 73,6 (6,9) years old. The study showed that 74,4% of participants (n=528) reported LBP in the last three months. There were significant differences between LBP and NLBP regarding sex (p=0.005), social impact on physical and emotional status (p=0.022), presence of other diseases such as hearing issues (p=0.021), respiratory (p=0.033) and osteomuscular diseases (p=0.001). 31% of LBP (n=164) displayed functional incapacity, most female (85,4%, n=140) and scored 8,3 (1,5) in the PNR. There were also significant differences between LBPHD and LBPLD in IPAQ (p=0.002), one item of SF-36 (p<0.001), and social impact on physical and emotional status (p<0.001).
Conclusion(s): There is a high prevalence of LBP in elderly brazilians, most of them with some degree of functional incapacity.
Implications: The high prevalence of LBP in the brazilian elderlies brings us the awareness of the necessity of the development of better strategies to the management of chronic pain and to prevent functional incapacity in this population.
Funding, acknowledgements: This study was not financed.
Keywords: Low Back Pain., Aged., Prevalence.
Topic: Older people
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: University of São Paulo (USP)
Committee: The Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP)
Ethics number: CAAE 22479419.9.0000.0065
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
