Características presentes em indivíduos com dor lombar pontual na região metropolitana da cidade de São Paulo: um estudo transversal de base populacional

Abstract

Background: Low back pain is an important health problem and is associated with absenteeism and disability. Most of the Brazilian studies were conducted in specific populations and might not be generalisable to the Brazilian population. Purpose: To describe clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with low back pain living in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 3,000 individuals from a larger study were included. Patients who reported back pain at the time of the interview were considered for this specific study. Data collection was performed in places of continuous flow of people, through the individual application of low back pain-related questionnaires. We collected demographic data as well as information with regards to pain intensity and disability. We analysed the data using descriptive statistics. Results: We got information from 295 participants. The majority was women, aged above 46 years old, with a body mass index above 25. 58% of the participants were sedentary. Finally, most patients were either stressed, anxious or depressed. Discussion and conclusion: The characteristics of Brazilian low back pain patients are similar to those reported in high-income countries. These variables are important for the planning of more targeted strategies for the prevention and treatment.