ArticleBMC research notes2018
The burden of low back pain among undergraduate physiotherapy students at the University of Zimbabwe: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC research notes, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Low back pain prevalence across African populations from 2017 to 2025: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence and factors associated with chronic low back pain in students of the university of Dschang: a cross-sectional study in a sub-Saharan university.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Hip and Trunk Variables in University Students with and without Recurrent Low Back Pain.International journal of sports physical therapy · 2024Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveGlobally, non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) is a common cause of morbidity in all people including physiotherapy students. However, no study has investigated the problem among undergraduate physiotherapy students in Zimbabwe. This study was conducted, therefore, to provide evidence of the prevalence, clinical characteristics and consequences of recurrent NSLBP among undergraduate physiotherapy students at the University of Zimbabwe.
resultsThe final sample had 90 participants, giving a study response rate of 97.8%. The median age of the participants was 22 years. The lifetime prevalence of NSLBP was 56.7% (n = 51) and the mean age of onset for NSLBP was 19.7 years (SD = 1.64 years). The 12-month prevalence of recurrent NSLBP was 38.9% (n = 35). Of the 35, 20 (57.1%) experienced at least three episodes in the last 12 months. Each episode lasted for 1-7 days in most participants (n = 31, 88.6%). The mean intensity of recurrent episodes was 3.37 (SD = 1.43) measured on Visual Analogue Scale. Only 7 (20%) experienced at least one functional limitation due to recurrent NSLBP. Additionally, only 2 (5.7%) sought medical treatment for the pain. However, 6 (17.1%) had to be absent from the university secondary to recurrent NSLBP.
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Registered trials
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