title: The epidemiology of back pain in vocational age groups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of back pain in a general population aged between 20 and 59 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  A representative sample of 2000 individuals from Ostergotland County, Sweden (population 400,000).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study using a questionnaire including the pain drawing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The observed point prevalence was 28% (95% confidence interval 26-31%). The adjusted prevalence taking into account the non-responders was 23% (21-25%). Lumbar pain with radiation was reported by 40%, while 4% had only cervical pain with radiation. Twelve per cent were on sick-leave due to back pain. Activity of daily life was affected mainly in the group of men aged 40-59 and only in household tasks. The back problems did not affect social activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of back problems in the vocational ages was found to be 23%. Only small parts of a pain population are on sick-leave or have changed working tasks because of back problems. The distribution of pain in most cases is combined with radiation to extremities and not isolated to a single region. The combination of different localisations shows the pain problem to be more than just a "low back" problem.
authors.affiliation: Linköping Spine Centre, Institution of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sweden.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reigo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Timpka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tropp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001416:Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology