Biopsychosocial factors associated with chronic low back pain-related activity limitations in Burundi.
Ildephonse Nduwimana, Félix Nindorera, Alexis Sinzakaraye and 3 others
PMID 35937094WHAT IT FOUND
Lower education, poorer abdominal endurance, and higher depression scores were the strongest predictors of activity limitations in 58 Burundian patients with chronic low back pain.
These three factors explained 49% of the variance in disability.
Key findings
01Education level, abdominal endurance, and depression were the significant predictors of activity limitations in the final regression model.
02The model containing these three predictors explained 49% of the variance in self-reported activity limitations.
03Participants with less than a university level of education had significantly higher activity limitations compared to those with a university education.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (n = 58) and drawn from a single centre in Bujumbura, which may not represent the wider Burundian population. The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine causality or direction of relationships between factors and disability. Several relevant biopsychosocial factors were not measured, including self-efficacy, catastrophising, and coping strategies. The majority of the sample was female, married, employed, and had a university-level education, which may limit generalisability to other demographic groups.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Ethical clearance was obtained from the National Ethics Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that gender or healthcare coverage are independent drivers of disability in this population. While they showed associations in initial analyses, they lost significance when education, abdominal endurance, and depression were accounted for in the regression model.