Low Back Pain among Pre-clinical MBBS Students: An Inevitable Peril in the Age of Online Education

Abstract

Introduction: Though low back pain (LBP), is a main cause for ill health and morbidity among all age groups, the prevalence of LBP among the younger age group especially university students is not uncommon. This can be attributed to many hours of sitting during class, faulty posture, sedentary lifestyle or a combination of all these factors more so during online learning and movement control during the pandemic. This study aims to investigate the correlation between long hours of sitting and LBP among pre-clinical medical students in a private university in Malaysia during online learning. Methods: Quantitative data was collected from 100 consenting, pre-clinical MBBS students from year 1 and year 2 who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria using a pre-tested, validated questionnaire. Results: A total of 30 male and 70 female participants responded to the survey. 71(71%) students reported LBP in the past six months with year 2 students reporting a higher incidence. Though the intensity was not severe, most of the students reported acute pain after prolonged sitting episodes. Gender and LBP showed no association in Pearson Chi Square test. The correlation between year of study and LBP was statistically significant at X2=9.179, p=0.002. Point biserial correlation showed a strong, positive correlation between LBP and sitting duration, which was statistically significant (rpb =0.686, < 0.05). Conclusion: Pre-clinical MBBS students in the private university showed a high prevalence of LBP which correlated well with year of study and duration of sitting.