Factors Associated with Low Back Pain in Non-Professional Caregivers of Dependent Spinal Cord Lesion Patients

• Published in: International journal of caring sciences Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 471 - 477
• Main Authors: Pajeemas, Kittipanya-ngam, Patpiya, Sirasaporn, Preeda, Arayawichanon, Siriwan, Surapitoon Ngaosinchai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nicosia Professor Despina Sapountzi - Krepia Publisher of the International Journal of Caring Sciences 01-01-2018
• Subjects: Age; Archives & records; Back pain; Caregivers; Disability; Epidemiology; Families & family life; Gender; Life expectancy; Manipulative therapy; Primary care; Questionnaires; Rehabilitation; Risk factors; Spinal cord injuries; Thailand
• ISSN: 1791-5201; 1792-037X

The number of spinal cord injury patients is rising every year. Caregivers play a role for taking care of these patients. The caregiver activities involving bending, twisting, frequent heavy lifting, awkward static posture, and psychological stress tend to result of low back pain. To evaluate prevalence and factors associated with low back pain among non-professional caregivers of dependent spinal cord lesion patients. Participants included 96 non-professional caregivers of dependent spinal cord lesion survivors in rehabilitation clinic. Age, gender, body weight, neurological level, and Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) of patients and age, gender, BMI, low back pain history and Thai Modified Oswestry Disability Index were reported. All baseline characteristics and prevalence of low back pain was summarized in number percentage, mean and standard deviation. Association between risk factors and low back pain was analyzed by univariate analysis (significant p value < 0.05). The prevalence of low back pain among those caregivers was 64.6 percent. Low back pain associated factors were age less than 60 years, female, taking time more than 8 hours per day, history of smoking, and history of regular exercise. Non-professional caregivers of dependent spinal cord lesion patients had a higher prevalence of low back pain which was associated with age, gender, caregiving duration, smoking, and history of regular exercise.