Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37872924›Full record

ArticleCureus2023

Chronic Low Back Pain: Prevalence, Impact on Quality of Life, and Predictors of Future Disability.

Enas Alfalogy, Sahar Mahfouz, Samah Elmedany, Nahla Hariri, Salah Fallatah

Open access · diamondAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
26citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
6.1field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

26 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Advances in physiotherapy for chronic low-back pain: a level I systematic review.Journal of orthopaedics and traumatology : official journal of the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Paraspinal muscle quality in chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of muscle atrophy and fat infiltration.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026
    Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Enas AlfalogyFamily Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, EGY.
Sahar MahfouzRheumatology & Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, EGY.
Samah ElmedanyRheumatology & Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, EGY.
Nahla HaririCommunity Medicine and Pilgrims Healthcare, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU.
Salah FallatahOrthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU.
Tanta University Hospital · EGUmm al-Qura University · SAZagazig University · EG

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn primary healthcare settings, chronic low back pain (cLBP) is a widespread health issue with a great global impact.

methodsA cross-sectional analytical study was performed on 918 adults attending primary healthcare settings in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, to estimate the cLBP prevalence, its effect on health-related quality of life (QOL), and predictors of subsequent disability. The visual analog scale of pain (VAS), World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHO-QOL), and Oswestry low back pain disability index (ODI) were used to assess back pain severity, impact on QOL, and physical disability, respectively.

resultsThe prevalence of cLBP among adults attending primary care settings in Makkah City was 25.9%, and 88.6% of them had a limited range of motion of the spine. About 58.1% had abnormal radiological findings detected by MRI. Based on the VAS scale, most patients (83.8%) had mild pain. The median (IQR) QOL score was 70 (60-80). Minimal and moderate disability scores were prevalent among 16.2% and 65.7% of patients, respectively. Disability scores were independently predicted by a lower QOL score (beta = -0.39, 95%CI = -0.49 to -0.29, p < 0.001) and higher VAS scores (beta = 0.47, 95%CI = 0.38-0.56, p < 0.001). Furthermore, disability was independently associated with having post-void residual volume (PVRV) (beta = 5.84, 95%CI = 1.97-9.72, p = 0.004) and abnormal X-ray findings (beta = 7.10, 95%CI = 1.77-12.4, p = 0.010).

conclusioncLBP is common among adults attending primary care settings in Makkah City; it is associated with moderate disability and lower health-related QOL.

Indexed as

disabilitylow back painprevalence rateprimary healthcare centerquality of life (qol)

Identifiers

PMID37872924
PMCPMC10590648
OpenAlexW4386967590

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.