ArticleBMC medical education2019
Do medical students believe the back pain myths? A cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC medical education, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of a pain science education programme in middle school students: a randomised controlled trial.Frontiers in public health · 2024Trial
- Non-specific low back pain misconceptions are common among Austrian medical students - a cross-sectional study.Wiener medizinische Wochenschrift (1946) · 2026Article
- Association of pain neurophysiology knowledge and application amongst UK chiropractic students: A cross-sectional study.The Journal of chiropractic education · 2023Article
- What influences graduate medical students' beliefs of lower back pain? A mixed methods cross sectional study.BMC medical education · 2022Article
- Misconceptions of physical therapists and medical doctors regarding the impact of lifting a light load on low back pain.Brazilian journal of physical therapyArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLow back pain (LBP) is common, affecting 58-84% of adults at some point. In benign cases, misinformation can lead to harmful coping strategies and prolonged recovery time. Deyo has identified seven 'Myths of Back Pain' as misconceptions commonly seen in clinical practice of which doctors-in-training should be aware. We sought to determine medical students' baseline knowledge of the prognosis and management of LBP compared to the general public and to dispel the 'Myths of Back Pain'.
methodsWe carried out a cross-sectional study of medical students (pre-clinical and clinical) at the National University of Ireland, Galway where students completed a questionnaire outlining the seven 'Myths of Back Pain'. Final year students completed the survey before and after a seminar on LBP. Students' results were compared with a random sample of the public who attended Galway University Hospital.
resultsTwo hundred nineteen students completed the questionnaire (59% female, 41% male). The mean age was 21 years (17-32). The mean number of correct answers increased according to medical school year (premedical 3/7, first year 4/7, final year 5/7). A personal history of back pain and female sex were associated with higher scores. On average, medical students answered 4/7 questions correctly overall, compared to the public (n = 131) who averaged at 3/7. Final years dispelled one further myth after their LBP seminar.
conclusionsCommon misconceptions around LBP are prevalent among medical students and the general public. It is important that medical school curricula address these issues as part of their musculoskeletal programme.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.