Kasza Blanka Bernadett, Nákity Kinga, Finta Regina, Pásztor Norbert, Kurokawa Takayuki, Sápi Mariann, Domján Andrea
Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Studies, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
Doctoral School of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
Front Psychol. 2025 May 19;16:1463414. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1463414. eCollection 2025.
Health-science students frequently experience low back pain (LBP), influenced by stress, academic demands, and sedentary lifestyles. This study investigated associations between pain intensity, subjective disability, psychological factors (perceived stress and anxiety), LBP-related knowledge, daily sitting hours, and weekly sports participation in health-sciences students. It further examines the link between psychological factors and nonspecific LBP among Hungarian health-science students.
In total, 172 students (155 women, 17 men, age: 20.33 ± 1.47, Body Mass Index (BMI): 22.32 ± 3.64) participated in the study. 111 subjects (103 women, 8 men, age: 20.52 ± 1.50, Body Mass Index (BMI): 22.48 ± 3.66) had low back pain (LBP group), and 61 subjects (52 women, 9 men, age: 19.97 ± 1.34, BMI: 22.01 ± 3.61) did not (non-LBP group). The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), daily sitting hours, weekly sports participation, and Low Back Knowledge Questionnaire (LKQ) were assessed and analyzed as LBP-associated factors.
Stress level of the LBP group indicates high perceived stress (PSS: = 27.23, SD = 8.38), STAI in the complete sample showed "moderate anxiety" (STAI-S: = 43.30, SD = 9.75; STAI-T: = 40.33, SD = 11.43) with a significant difference of STAI-T ( = 0.003) between groups. In both groups, a significant, strong positive correlation was found between perceived stress and anxiety (LBP STAI-S: rs = 0.67, = 0.000; LBP STAI-T: rs = 0.74, = 0.000; non-LBP STAI-S: rs = 0.66, = 0.000; non-LBP STAI-T: rs = 0.73, = 0.000). trait anxiety showed a statistically significant positive association with pain intensity ( = 0.264, SE_β = 0.120; = 0.051, SE_b = 0.023; = 0.031), and ODI also had a significant positive correlation ( = 0.731, SE_β = 0.052; = 0.438, SE_b = 0.031; < 0.001). No relationship was found between the sitting hours and the other variables of the study in either group.
This study found a significant association between trait anxiety and personal experiences of LBP in Hungarian health science students. No link was found between LBP and daily sitting hours or sports participation. Given the high prevalence of stress and anxiety among future healthcare professionals and their established link to LBP, health science curricula should include comprehensive education on the psychosocial aspects of LBP.
ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT05487729 (04/08/2022).
健康科学专业的学生经常经历腰痛（LBP），这受到压力、学业要求和久坐生活方式的影响。本研究调查了疼痛强度、主观残疾、心理因素（感知压力和焦虑）、与LBP相关的知识、每日久坐时间以及健康科学专业学生每周的体育活动参与情况之间的关联。它还进一步研究了匈牙利健康科学专业学生中心理因素与非特异性LBP之间的联系。
共有172名学生（155名女性，17名男性，年龄：20.33±1.47，体重指数（BMI）：22.32±3.64）参与了该研究。111名受试者（103名女性，8名男性，年龄：20.52±1.50，BMI：22.48±3.66）患有腰痛（LBP组），61名受试者（52名女性，9名男性，年龄：19.97±1.34，BMI：22.01±3.61）没有腰痛（非LBP组）。采用视觉模拟量表（VAS）、奥斯威斯利残疾指数（ODI）、感知压力量表（PSS）、状态-特质焦虑量表（STAI）、每日久坐时间、每周体育活动参与情况以及腰痛知识问卷（LKQ）作为与LBP相关的因素进行评估和分析。
LBP组的压力水平表明感知压力较高（PSS：=27.23，标准差=8.38），整个样本中的STAI显示“中度焦虑”（STAI-S：=43.30，标准差=9.75；STAI-T：=40.33，标准差=11.43），两组之间STAI-T存在显著差异（=0.003）。在两组中，均发现感知压力与焦虑之间存在显著的强正相关（LBP组STAI-S：rs=0.67，=0.000；LBP组STAI-T：rs=0.74，=0.000；非LBP组STAI-S：rs=0.66，=0.000；非LBP组STAI-T：rs=0.73，=0.000）。特质焦虑与疼痛强度之间存在统计学上显著的正相关（=0.264，标准误β=0.120；=0.051，标准误b=0.023；=0.031），ODI也存在显著正相关（=0.731，标准误β=0.052；=0.438，标准误b=0.031；<0.001）。在两组中，久坐时间与研究的其他变量之间均未发现关联。
本研究发现匈牙利健康科学专业学生的特质焦虑与LBP的个人经历之间存在显著关联。未发现LBP与每日久坐时间或体育活动参与情况之间存在联系。鉴于未来医疗保健专业人员中压力和焦虑的高患病率以及它们与LBP已确立的联系，健康科学课程应包括关于LBP心理社会方面的全面教育。
ClinicalTrials.gov，标识符NCT05487729（2022年8月4日）。
