Non-specific back pain, physical activity and ways of coping with pain among school-aged children and youth

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PhD Agnieszka Kędra
Jozef Pilsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Faculty of Physical Education and Health, Biala Podlaska, Poland

Back pain is a serious problem of contemporary society. Research has shown that a low level of physical activity is a back pain risk factor. The study sought to characterise non-specific back pain and ways of coping with it and to analyse physical activity among children and youth aged 10-19 with and without back pain.
The final analysis included 900 students aged 10-19 years (556 girls and 344 boys). The author’s own questionnaire was applied as a research tool. Prior to the study, the questionnaire reliability was assessed. Kappa coefficient in all the analysed variables was equal to or higher than 0.92. Nearly 70% of the respondents declared that they had experienced back pain in the last 12 months. Physically active students reported back pain much less frequently than those who were not active. It was revealed that with age, the percentage of students who were taking OTC painkillers increased.

Keywords: back pain, non-specific back pain, children, youth, physical activity.

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