Presence and correlates of back pain in adolescents during confinement by COVID-19

Abstract

Adolescence is a period marked by intense physical, psychological, behavioral and social changes; the pandemic provided a framework of uncertainty, transforming the daily life of adolescents. Back pain associated with pubertal development is common at this age. The objective of this study was to describe the presence of back pain in students, its relationship with body changes, physical activity (PA) and expectations regarding academic performance in 2020.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out between June and July 2020 with first and second year high school students from educational centers in the city of Córdoba. A digital questionnaire was administered that included questions about changes in body size (height), expected school performance, physical activity, and presence of back pain. Statistical analysis compared percentages with chi2 or Fisher's test, but the sample is insufficient to corroborate hypotheses.

The study involved 36 adolescents between 12 and 15 years old, 53.7% women and 46.3% men. Back pain was reported by 38.7% adolescents, (38.5% of women and 17.3% of men). The students whose changed sizes (36.4%) reported back pain compared to none of those who had not yet had changes made or those who had already finished their changes (p = 0.448). Back pain reached 33.3% of those who performed PA during the pandemic compared to 50.0% of those who did not perform PA. All students who said they would do poorly or regularly in school by the end of 2020 reported back pain, compared to 28.6% of those who thought they would do well and 20% of those who thought they would do very well (p=0.039).

The presence of back pain in the study population was associated with physical aspects such as bodily changes and PA, and emotional aspects, such as expectations regarding school performance, which could be influenced by the uncertainty produced by the alteration of school activity.