Prevalence of Low Back Pain (LBP) and its affect on Everyday Life among Female Caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP)

Purpose: To find out the prevalence of LBP among female caregivers of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and how it affects the ability of female caregivers to manage in everyday life. Objectives: The objectives were to estimate the prevalence of LBP of the last 12 months among female caregivers of CP; to determine the association between LBP of the last 12 months and demographic variables; and to explore the levels of physical disability of the female caregivers to manage in everyday life due to low back pain. Method and Measures: Cross sectional design was used. In this study, one question from the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire (SNQ) was used to estimate the prevalence of LBP of the last 12 months among female caregivers of CP, some demographic variables had been chosen to show association with LBP of the last 12 months, and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) version 2.1a was used to determine the levels of physical disability of the female caregivers to manage in everyday life due to LBP. Results: Among the seventy-five participants, mean age was 25.7(±5.6) years. More than half of the female caregivers (58.7%; n=44) engaged in their child (CP) care tasks for less than 6 hours per day. Most of the children with CP were spastic (82.7%; n=62) and quadriplegic (41.3%; n=31). In the female caregivers, the prevalence of LBP of the last 12 months was 66.70% (n=50). Relationship with the child with CP and family income were associated with LBP of last 12 months (p<0.005). Conclusion: The result shows high prevalence of LBP among the participants which requires ergonomic attention.