Low Back Pain, Disability and Quality of Life among University Students

Back pain is one of difficulties in communities that has negative effect on various aspect of life. The purpose of this study is to assess the aspects of life quality and its relationship with disability due to low back pain among students.
Methods and Material: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 200 eligible students were enrolled through purposive available sampling. Data was obtained based on demographic data questionnaire, the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire and SF-36 inventory. All data were entered into SPSS version 19 and analyzed.
Results of this study showed that 60.3 percent (114 people) of students were living with low back pain. Based on Roland-Morris disability questionnaire, 80 percent (91 people) of those with low back pain were suffered from disability. The chi-square test showed there was a significant relationship between quality of life (QOL) (mental health and social function) and disability due to low back pain,. It also was shown that indirect relationship between all aspects of QOL and disability due to low back pain was existed.
This study indicated low back pain could affect not only on student's physical aspects of quality of life but also psychological and social aspects of quality of life could be decreased. Considering these effects of low back pain among students, multidimensional interventions regarding bio- psychosocial dimensions recommended to improve the quality of life of this target group.