article · Open Journal of Modern Neurosurgery
A study conducted at Yaounde Central Hospital in Cameroon evaluated the burden of chronic low back pain among 115 patients over a three-month period. Most participants were female, with an average age of approximately 53 years, and over half engaged in physical labour. Nearly forty percent earned less than 50,000 CFA francs monthly, while the median monthly cost of medical management was 52,000 CFA francs, placing treatment costs above the average earnings of many patients. Severe disability affected 40 percent of the cohort, with individuals missing an average of nearly 13 workdays. Key factors independently linked to disability included education level, alcohol consumption, treatment modality, pain intensity, body mass index, psychological wellbeing, and accumulated sick leave.
Chronic low back pain creates substantial personal, physical, and financial hardship in low-resource settings. This study highlights that treatment expenses often outstrip patient earnings, while significant work absence and disability fall heavily on low-income workers and those performing manual labour. Understanding these socioeconomic and clinical factors is crucial for healthcare planners designing accessible support and rehabilitation programmes.
The abstract provides observational clinical and socioeconomic data rather than describing a technology, service, or therapeutic intervention. Consequently, it does not indicate an application pathway for commercialisation.
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Background: Chronic low back pain is a leading cause of morbidity and disability globally. Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) tend to be more affected, with chronic low back pain (CLBP) being among the leading presenting complaints at specialist consultation. The exact burden of this disease is sparingly known in our setting. Objective: To evaluate the burden of chronic low back pain at the Yaounde Central Hospital. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study for a period of 3 months, from March 2022 to May 2022. After obtaining ethical clearance and research authorisations, data was collected using structured questionnaires from patients with chronic low back pain presenting at the Yaounde Central Hospital during the aforementioned time frame. This data was then tabulated with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 23.0), and disability was assessed using the modified Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire and the Oswestry Disability Index. Data analysis was done using the International Business Machines Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM-SPSS) VERSION 23.0. Results: 115 cases of CLBP were included. The mean age was 52.62 years, and the sex ratio was 0.3. The average monthly income was less than 50,000 frs CFA, in 37.4% of cases. In 57.9%, patients had a job that involved physical labour. The patients had a secondary level of education in 40.9%, and alcohol consumption was observed in 36%. The average number of days of a work stoppage due to LBP was 12.75 days (±12SD), and the median duration of CLBP was 7.15 (7.5SD) years. The median pain intensity was 7 (±2SD), with leg pain and sensory neuropathy observed in 67.8% and 63.5% respectively. Lumbar X-ray was done in 45.2% and revealed lumbar osteoarthrosis in 62.4%. Hypertension as a comorbidity was observed in 26.1%. Medical treatment was used at least once in 98.3% of cases. The average cost of management per month was assessed, and the median was 52,000 FCFA (±20,876 SD). Using the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, 46 patients, that is 40% of the study population, were classified as severely disabled with a median ODI score of 40%. The factors which were independently associated with disability were level of education, alcohol consumption, treatment modality, pain intensity, body mass index (BMI), psychological wellbeing and number of sick leave days. Conclusion: Chronic low back pain is common in our setting. There is a female predominance with the mean age of the study population situated in the 5th decade. Low-income earners and patients with a job involving physical labour were the most affected. Medical treatment was the main therapeutic modality, with the average cost of management per month being above the average monthly income of the greater majority of the patients. Several factors influenced disability, some of which were independently associated with it, such as level of education, alcohol consumption and treatment modality.
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DOI: 10.4236/ojmn.2025.151008
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