Suchergebnisse

Background: Recurrent non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) is increasingly becoming common among adolescents worldwide. A recent study in Zimbabwe showed a relatively high prevalence (28.8 %) among high school students. Influential associated factors, however, remain unclear. This is a significant shortcoming. The aim was to determine personal or lifestyle-related factors associated with recurrent NSLBP among high school adolescents in Harare, Zimbabwe. Methods: This study was part of a large epidemiological study conducted in two continuous parts. Part one sought to determine self-reported associated factors among 532 participants (mean age =16 ± 1.72 years) drawn randomly from selected government schools using a reliable and content-validated questionnaire (Kappa coefficient, k = 0.32–1). Part two purposively identified adolescents (N = 64, median age =17 years, interquartile range, IQR = 15–18 years) with a history of 'severe' recurrent NSLBP from part one based on a specific eligibility criteria and compared body mass index, relative school bag weight and hamstring flexibility with matched adolescents without NSLBP. Data was analysed using Statistica version 11. Independent t-tests or χ 2 tests of association were used for continuous and categorical data, respectively. The statistical significance was set at p < .05. Results: Recurrent NSLBP was associated with self-reported factors such as perceptions of a heavy school bag [χ 2 (1) = 85.9, p < 0.001]. A significant proportion of adolescents with recurrent NSLBP spent over 30 min carrying the school bag to and from school [χ 2 (1) =32.2, p < 0.001]. It was also associated with prolonged sitting (p < 0.001), not playing sports [χ 2 (1) =5.85, p = 0.02] and tight hamstrings [χ 2 (1) =7.6, p = 0.006]. Conclusions: Although conclusions from this study are hesitant because of the cross-sectional nature of the study and the relatively small sample size in follow-up study, recurrent NSLBP is associated with perceptions of a heavy school bag, duration of school bag carriage, no sports participation, prolonged sitting on entertainment activities, and tight hamstrings. These findings add to the importance of promoting physical activity at school or home especially aimed at improving muscle flexibility.

Abstract Background Non-specific low back pain is a prevalent symptom in adolescents and is recurrent in some instances. Recent studies have highlighted the marked impact the condition has on daily life of adolescents. However, it is unclear if parents of adolescents reporting recurrent non-specific low back pain know about their child's status. The purpose of the study was to determine the level of agreement between adolescents and their parents in reporting recurrent non-specific low back pain in Harare, Zimbabwe. Methods This cross-sectional study formed part of a large study carried out to ascertain the prevalence of non-specific low back pain in Zimbabwean adolescents. Six hundred and twenty ( n = 620) Medical Health Questionnaires were sent to parents. School-children with returned questionnaires and informed consents signed were subsequently eligible to participate. A reliable and validated low back pain study questionnaire was administered to 544 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 years randomly selected from government-administered schools. The questionnaire sought to determine adolescents with recurrent NSLBP. The Kappa statistic (k) was used to analyse agreement between adolescents and parental reports on recurrent NSLBP status. Results Parental and school-children response rates were acceptable (90.3 and 97.8 %, respectively). The prevalence of recurrent NSLBP was 28.8 % [95 % Confidence Interval, CI = 26.0–31.6]. Both sexes were equally affected [ χ 2 (1) = 0.19 , p = 0.67]. The prevalence increased with age in both sexes [ χ 2 trend =90.9, p < 0.001]. Parental reports agreed in 16.3 and 98.7 % for the adolescents with and without recurrent NSLBP respectively. The value of kappa (k) was 0.20 [SE = 0.04; 95 % CI, 0.13–0.27] with a prevalence index and bias index of −0.65 and 0.23, respectively. These results suggest poor strength of the agreement. Conclusions Recurrent non-specific low back pain is relatively common among Zimbabwean adolescents. Most of the parents of school-children with recurrent non-specific low back pain are unaware of the low back pain status of their children. Although this does not dismiss the relevance of non-specific low back pain reported during adolescence, these findings create a need to involve parents in awareness or preventive initiatives against low back pain in schools.

Abstract Background Recurrent non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) is increasingly becoming common among adolescents worldwide. A recent study in Zimbabwe showed a relatively high prevalence (28.8 %) among high school students. Influential associated factors, however, remain unclear. This is a significant shortcoming. The aim was to determine personal or lifestyle-related factors associated with recurrent NSLBP among high school adolescents in Harare, Zimbabwe. Methods This study was part of a large epidemiological study conducted in two continuous parts. Part one sought to determine self-reported associated factors among 532 participants (mean age =16 ± 1.72 years) drawn randomly from selected government schools using a reliable and content-validated questionnaire (Kappa coefficient, k = 0.32–1). Part two purposively identified adolescents ( N = 64, median age =17 years, interquartile range, IQR = 15–18 years) with a history of 'severe' recurrent NSLBP from part one based on a specific eligibility criteria and compared body mass index, relative school bag weight and hamstring flexibility with matched adolescents without NSLBP. Data was analysed using Statistica version 11. Independent t -tests or χ 2 tests of association were used for continuous and categorical data, respectively. The statistical significance was set at p < .05. Results Recurrent NSLBP was associated with self-reported factors such as perceptions of a heavy school bag [χ 2 (1) = 85.9, p < 0.001]. A significant proportion of adolescents with recurrent NSLBP spent over 30 min carrying the school bag to and from school [χ 2 (1) =32.2, p < 0.001]. It was also associated with prolonged sitting ( p < 0.001), not playing sports [χ 2 (1) =5.85, p = 0.02] and tight hamstrings [χ 2 (1) =7.6, p = 0.006]. Conclusions Although conclusions from this study are hesitant because of the cross-sectional nature of the study and the relatively small sample size in follow-up study, recurrent NSLBP is associated with perceptions of a heavy school bag, duration of school bag carriage, no sports participation, prolonged sitting on entertainment activities, and tight hamstrings. These findings add to the importance of promoting physical .

Background: Non-specific low back pain is a prevalent symptom in adolescents and is recurrent in some instances. Recent studies have highlighted the marked impact the condition has on daily life of adolescents. However, it is unclear if parents of adolescents reporting recurrent non-specific low back pain know about their child's status. The purpose of the study was to determine the level of agreement between adolescents and their parents in reporting recurrent non-specific low back pain in Harare, Zimbabwe. Methods: This cross-sectional study formed part of a large study carried out to ascertain the prevalence of non-specific low back pain in Zimbabwean adolescents. Six hundred and twenty (n = 620) Medical Health Questionnaires were sent to parents. School-children with returned questionnaires and informed consents signed were subsequently eligible to participate. A reliable and validated low back pain study questionnaire was administered to 544 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 years randomly selected from government-administered schools. The questionnaire sought to determine adolescents with recurrent NSLBP. The Kappa statistic (k) was used to analyse agreement between adolescents and parental reports on recurrent NSLBP status. Results: Parental and school-children response rates were acceptable (90.3 and 97.8 %, respectively). The prevalence of recurrent NSLBP was 28.8 % [95 % Confidence Interval, CI = 26.0–31.6]. Both sexes were equally affected [χ 2 (1) =0.19, p = 0.67]. The prevalence increased with age in both sexes [χ 2trend =90.9, p < 0.001]. Parental reports agreed in 16.3 and 98.7 % for the adolescents with and without recurrent NSLBP respectively. The value of kappa (k) was 0.20 [SE = 0.04; 95 % CI, 0.13–0.27] with a prevalence index and bias index of −0.65 and 0.23, respectively. These results suggest poor strength of the agreement. Conclusions: Recurrent non-specific low back pain is relatively common among Zimbabwean adolescents. Most of the parents of school-children with recurrent non-specific low back pain are unaware of the low back pain status of their children. Although this does not dismiss the relevance of non-specific low back pain reported during adolescence, these findings create a need to involve parents in awareness or preventive initiatives against low back pain in schools.

Abstract Background Until recently, non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) in adolescents was considered a rare phenomenon unlike in adults. The last two decades has shown an increasing amount of research highlighting the prevalence in this age group. Recent studies estimate lifetime prevalence at 7%-80%, point prevalence at 10%-15%, and prevalence of recurrent NSLBP at 13%-36%. In Zimbabwe, there is dearth of literature on the magnitude of the problem in adolescents. Therefore, the aims of the study were to determine the prevalence (lifetime, point, recurrent) and the nature of recurrent NSLBP reported by adolescents in secondary schools. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire. A cluster sample of 544 adolescents (age 13–19 years) randomly derived from government schools participated in the study. Lifetime prevalence, point prevalence and prevalence of recurrent NSLBP were presented as percentages of the total population. Exact 95% confidence intervals were given. Chi-square test was used to evaluate the effect of gender and age on prevalence. Results The students' response rate was 97.8%. The lifetime prevalence was 42.9% [95% confidence interval = 40.8-44.6] with no significant difference between sexes [ χ 2 (1) =0.006 , p = 0.94]. However, NSLBP peaked earlier in female students (13.9 years) than in male students (15 years) [ t (226) = 4.21, p < 0.001]. About 10% of the adolescents reported having an episode of NSLBP on the day of the survey. However, female students (14.2%) were more affected on the day [ χ 2 (1) = 11.2 , p < 0.001]. Twenty-nine percent of the adolescents experienced recurrent NSLBP with 78% experiencing at least three episodes in the last 12 months. On average, recurrent NSLBP reported was mild in intensity (4.8 ± 1.9) on the visual analogue scale (VAS) and short in duration. Recurrent NSLBP was associated with sciatica in 20.9% of adolescents. Conclusions NSLBP is a common occurrence among Zimbabwean adolescents in secondary schools. It increases with chronological age and is recurrent in the minority of adolescents. Although much of the symptomatology may be considered benign, the existence of recurrent NSLBP in adolescents before their work-life begins should be a concern to health professionals, teachers and parents.

<b><i>Background/Aims:</i></b> Alcohol-related problems are relevant in the elderly, particularly in developed countries, but there is a lack of cross-country comparisons. The present work aims to examine the frequency and patterns of alcohol consumption in older adults across different European countries, and to analyze the relationship between socioeconomic status and gender with alcohol consumption.<b><i> Methods:</i></b> General population-based household surveys of randomly selected adults over 60 years of age in 14 European countries. Participants: 10,119 subjects [mean age: 70.4 (SD = 7.1)], 61.9% women. <b><i>Results:</i></b> There are marked differences in alcohol consumption across countries. Except for three countries from eastern regions, most people in all countries present moderate consumption regarding the amount of alcohol and pattern of use. However, there are marked gender differences, with a higher intake in men (effect sizes ranging from 0.57 to 1.27), although these differences are relatively proportional across countries. Finally, a higher socioeconomic status is positively related (B = 0.845, 95% CI: 0.30/1.40) with alcohol consumption after controlling for gender, age, health-functioning status and the country's development level. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> There are marked differences in consumption of alcohol in the elderly between the different countries, and male gender, as well as a higher SES, were associated with higher alcohol consumption.

South Africa implemented legislation in June 2016 mandating maximum sodium (Na) levels in processed foods. A pre-post impact evaluation assessed whether the interim legislative approach reduced salt intake and blood pressure. Baseline Na intake was assessed in a nested cohort of the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (WHO-SAGE) Wave 2 (Aug-Dec 2015). 24-hour urine samples were collected in a random subsample (n = 1,299; of which n = 750 were considered valid (volume ≥ 300 mL and creatinine ≥ 4 mmol/day (women) or ≥ 6 mmol/day (men))). Follow-up urine samples were collected in Wave 3 (Jun 2018-Jun 2019), with replacements included for those lost to follow-up (n = 1,189; n = 548 valid). In those aged 18 − 49y, median salt intake was 7.8 (4.7, 12.0) g/day in W2 (n = 274), remaining similar in the W3 sample (7.7 (4.9, 11.3) g salt/day (n = 92); P = 0.569). In older adults (50 + y), median salt intake was 5.8 (4.0, 8.5) g/day (n = 467) in W2, and 6.0 (4.0, 8.6) g/day (n = 455) in W3 (P = 0.721). Controlling for differences in background characteristics, overall salt intake dropped by 1.15 g/day (P = 0.028). 24hr urinary Na concentrations from a countrywide South African sample suggest that salt intakes have dropped during the interim phase of mandatory sodium legislation. Further measurement of population level salt intake following stricter Na targets, enforced from June 2019, is necessary.

Objectives Universal salt iodization has been adopted by many countries to address iodine deficiency. More recently, salt-reduction strategies have been widely implemented to meet global salt intake targets of 9 g/d. Results In Ghana, median sodium excretion indicated a salt intake of 10.7 g/d (interquartile range [IQR] = 7.6), and median UIE was 182.4 µg/L (IQR = 162.5). In SA, both values were lower: median salt = 5.6 g/d (IQR = 5.0), median UIE = 100.2 µg/L (IQR = 129.6). UIE differed significantly across salt intake categories (P < 0.001) in both countries, with positive correlations observed in both—Ghana: r = 0.1501, P < 0.0011; South Africa: r = 0.4050, P < 0.0001. Participants with salt intakes <9 g/d in SA did not meet the World Health Organization's recommended iodine intake of 150 µg/d, but this was not the case in Ghana. Conclusions Monitoring and surveillance of iodine status is recommended in countries that have introduced salt-reduction strategies, in order to prevent reemergence of iodine deficiency. ; ISSN:0899-9007 ; ISSN:1873-1244