Beliefs and attitudes about low back pain in Argentina: A cross-sectional survey using social media.

Background: low back pain (LBP) is highly prevalent, very disabling and carries an enormous economic burden. The multifactorial nature of LBP often does not allow identification of a single pathoanatomic driver of pain. Unhelpful beliefs are associated with elevated levels of pain and may have a negative impact on the recovery of an episode of LBP. Beliefs about the back and back pain have not been evaluated in the Argentine general population.

Objective: to assess the beliefs about the back and back pain of the Argentine population. The secondary objective was to compare the beliefs between respondents with and without LBP and between those who had and had not seen a health care professional (HCP).

Study Design: cross-sectional study.

Method: we included Argentinians aged 18 years or more with or without LBP. The Argentine version of Back Pain Attitudes Questionnaire (Back-PAQ) was used to assess back beliefs.

Results: one thousand and ninety-two participants responded the survey. Current LBP was reported by 42.3% (95% CI 39.3-45.2) of respondents and the life-time prevalence was 88.4% (95% CI 82.6-94.5). The mean Back-PAQ score was 111.7 (95% CI 111-112.5). Significant differences were found when comparing means scores of the current pain group with past and never LBP groups (p < 0.001). There were no difference in mean scores between respondents who were and were not exposed to a HCP.

Conclusion: Survey respondents sampled from the Argentine population had in general negative beliefs about back pain. Respondents with current pain had more unhelpful beliefs than pain free respondents in relation to the prognosis and recovery of an episode of LBP. Small differences were found in the beliefs of respondents who had received care for LBP from a HCP and those who did not seek care.