Prevalence of low back pain amongst antenatal clinic attendees at a tertiary hospital in Rivers State, Nigeria
1 Mother and Baby Care Global Foundation, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
2 Department of Surgery, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
4 Department of Community Medicine, Rivers State University, Nigeria.
5 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rivers State University, Nigeria.
6 Department of Physiotherapy, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2022, 16(01), 788–793
Article DOI: 10.30574/wjarr.2022.16.1.1091
Publication history:
Received on 18 September 2022; revised on 25 October 2022; accepted on 28 October 2022
Abstract:
Background: Low back pain is a worrisome complaint amongst antenatal clinic attendees. Management of low back pain in pregnancy is multidisciplinary especially in chronic cases for patient’s satisfaction. Eighty five percent (85%) of women with low back pain in previous pregnancies will develop low back pain in the index pregnancy.
Aim: To determine the prevalence of low back pain amongst antenatal clinic (ANC) attendees at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) and offer management modalities.
Method: The study was a cross sectional study, involving 200 antenatal clinic attendees, drawn from the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital. Information was coded and analysed using SPSS version 25.
Results: The mean age was 31.1years; the modal parity was Para 0. Twenty one (20.5%) of the antenatal clinic attendees were housewives, civil servants were 67 (33%) and 79 (39%) were self- employed. For the educational status 144 (72%) had tertiary level, 48 (24%) had secondary level, 4 (2%) had primary level of education, while 4 (2%) of the respondents did not provide their educational status. The prevalence of low back pain was 87 (43.5%). Seventy nine (91.8%) had low back pain lasting less than 6 months while 8 (9.2%) had low back pain lasting greater than 6 months or in previous pregnancies. None of those antenatal mothers were referred to orthopaedic surgeons.
Conclusion: The study revealed the prevalence of low back pain amongst ANC attendees at the RSUTH to be 43.5%. In addition, the study revealed that no patient with low back pain had orthopaedic referral. The optimum management for ANC attendees with low back pain is multi-disciplinary involving the obstetricians, the orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapist, nurses and social workers.
Keywords:
Prevalence; Low back pain; ANC attendees; Rivers State
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