April 2026, Volume 4, Issue 4

Author

Sakthivel P, Nagappan Madhappan and Aswani Kumar Seth

Abstract

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent musculoskeletal problem globally and a leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALY) among all age groups. Elderly persons aged 60 years and over are particularly vulnerable, and the proportion of the ageing population is increasing in India. Prevalence of LBP among elderly persons in urban areas of India range from 17.5 to 20.7%. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in an urban resettlement colony of Delhi to determine the one-year prevalence of LBP among elderly persons. Simple random sampling was applied to select participants. LBP was defined as pain lasting more than a day in the area between the lower costal margin and the gluteal folds. LBP due to injuries or organic causes were excluded. The study also assessed association of LBP with various socio-demographic, behavioural and clinical characteristics of the participants. Statistical analysis was performed with multiple logistic regression. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study included 526 participants. The one-year prevalence of LBP was 21.5% with men and women being 27.4% and 12.2%, respectively. It was found that poverty, depression, bad self-reported health, occurrence of two or more self-reported chronic conditions, and being overweight were independently associated with LBP in the multivariable logistic regression. Conclusion: Health system should integrate screening, management of LBP and rehabilitation in routine elderly care. Addressing poverty, chronic diseases, and mental health is also essential to reduce the burden of LBP.