Tarimo Nesto, Diener Ina
Department of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Malawi.
Department of Physiotherapy, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.
S Afr J Physiother. 2017 Oct 31;73(1):395. doi: 10.4102/sajp.v73i1.395. eCollection 2017.
Low back pain (LBP) affects many people globally. Its aetiology is not clear. Patients lack knowledge of its contributing factors and have negative perception about their LBP. This study aimed to identify knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding the perceived contributing factors to LBP among patients attending physiotherapy outpatient departments in Malawi. This information can possibly facilitate planning of a LBP education programme in Malawi.
A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted, using a six-part self-administered questionnaire with questions on demographic information, participants' attitudes and beliefs regarding their LBP, knowledge about the course and causes of LBP, beliefs regarding nine contributing factors to LBP (identified in a Delphi study) and the sources of the participants' knowledge. Data were analysed descriptively using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 19.0). A Chi-square test was used to determine any association between variables (alpha 0.05). All ethical procedures were strictly followed.
Most participants (186, 91.2 %) did not manage to answer all six questions regarding knowledge correctly and were regarded as 'partially knowledgeable' about the course and causes of LBP. More than half (67%) portrayed negative attitudes and beliefs about LBP in general. The findings also showed a statistically significant relationship between knowledge, attitudes and beliefs ( = 0.04).
This study highlighted that many patients with LBP in Malawi are not adequately knowledgeable about LBP and hold negative attitudes and beliefs regarding their LBP. Therefore, LBP management programmes in Malawi should include education programmes aimed at empowering patients with knowledge regarding LBP, as well as changing their negative attitudes and beliefs about their pain. Patients' understanding of the cause and nature of their pain may enhance the achievement of treatment goals.
腰痛在全球影响着众多人群。其病因尚不明确。患者对其促成因素缺乏了解，且对自身腰痛持有负面看法。本研究旨在确定马拉维理疗门诊患者对腰痛感知到的促成因素的知识、态度和信念。这些信息可能有助于规划马拉维的腰痛教育项目。
开展了一项定量横断面调查，使用一份包含六个部分的自填式问卷，内容涉及人口统计学信息、参与者对自身腰痛的态度和信念、关于腰痛病程及病因的知识、对腰痛九个促成因素（在一项德尔菲研究中确定）的信念以及参与者知识的来源。使用社会科学统计软件包（版本19.0）对数据进行描述性分析。采用卡方检验确定变量之间的任何关联（α = 0.05）。严格遵循所有伦理程序。
大多数参与者（186人，91.2%）未能正确回答所有六个关于知识的问题，被视为对腰痛病程及病因“部分了解”。超过一半（67%）的人总体上对腰痛表现出负面态度和信念。研究结果还显示，知识、态度和信念之间存在统计学上的显著关系（P = 0.04）。
本研究强调，马拉维许多腰痛患者对腰痛的了解不足，对自身腰痛持有负面态度和信念。因此，马拉维的腰痛管理项目应包括教育项目，旨在使患者掌握有关腰痛的知识，同时改变他们对疼痛的负面态度和信念。患者对自身疼痛原因和性质的理解可能会提高治疗目标的达成。
