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Low back pain incident, anthropometric characteristics and activities of daily living in pregnant women in a teaching hospital center antenatal clinic


AY Oyeyemi
AA Rufa'i
LL Aliyu

Abstract

Context: Although Low back pain (LBP) is a common problem during pregnancy, there is a death of empirical data on its etiology and possible risk factors especially in African population.
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between LBP, anthropometric characteristics and Cumulative Index of Activities of Daily Living (CIADL) among pregnant women.
Study design: A cross sectional survey sample of pregnant women (N=310) attending the antenatal clinic of University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital was conducted using a close ended questionnaire to elicit information on socio-demographic characteristics, maternity record, activities of daily living functions performed as home chores and LBP experience. Anthropometric measurement of height, weight, waist circumference and hip circumference were also recorded.
Result: A simple majority of the participants (52.3%) had LBP with lumbar type being predominant (55.1%). Majority of the pregnant women (55.6%) who experiences LBP were in their third trimester of pregnancy and pregnant women with formal education (X2=31.6, p=0.001) and civil servants (X2=5.8, p=0.03) tends to report LBP more than the others without education and of other occupation respectively. Primigravid women tend to report LBP more frequently than the multigravid (X2= 9.9, p=0.001) and parity was tenuously but inversely associated with LBP (r= -0.18 p= 0.002). While body weight was tenuously associated (r= 0.120 p= 0.035) with LBP, CIADL was not associated with LBP during pregnancy (r= -0.02, p= 0.71).
Conclusion: The study affirms LBP as a common problem during pregnancy and this pain is unrelated to the intensity of chores performed by the cohorts of pregnant women in their homes.

Trop J Obstet Gynaecol, 30 (1), April 2013

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eISSN: 0189-5117