A Systematic Review on the Prevalence of Low Back Pain in Nigeria

Low back pain (LBP) is a common musculoskeletal disorder affecting the general population. The prevalence of LBP varies across the studied populations, geographic areas, and age groups.

 Prevalence of LBP in Nigeria is largely occupational based. The prevalence differs based on the type of occupation, population, or age group. Therefore, it is necessary to collect data that can help to identify a point or annual prevalence that guides practice and policy making. The databases of PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and SciELO were searched from the inception to May, 2016. A strategy was developed to search the databases. Articles were included if they reported the prevalence of LBP in Nigeria. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed.

A total of 103 studies were yielded among which 12 studies were relevant. The 12-month prevalence of LBP was commonly reported, and it was estimated from 32.5% to 73.53%. All of the reviewed studies were occupational based and did not depict a true general population prevalence of LBP.

The findings of the current review demonstrated a high prevalence of LBP among workers. Future studies with appropriate methodological design on a general population helps to identify the impact of LBP in Nigeria