Low back pain in the Bangladeshi adult population: a cross-sectional national survey

OBJECTIVE: Low back pain (LBP) is a common musculoskeletal disorder. This study aims to determine the residence-specific and sex-specific prevalence and the factors associated with LBP in Bangladesh. METHODS: The study subjects (aged ≥18 years) were identified from 20 primary sampling units of the national census following a cross-sectional multistage stratified sampling design. We considered the mechanical type of LBP for this study. A Bangla version of the modified Community Oriented Programme for Control of Rheumatic Disorders questionnaire was used. A team of trained field workers, rheumatology residents and rheumatologists collected the data. Analysis was done using weighted data. RESULTS: Two thousand subjects were approached, but 1843 could be screened. Among them, 561 had musculoskeletal disorders, and 343 were diagnosed…