title: Prevalence of back pain in the community. A COPCORD-based study in the Mexican population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Back pain (BP) is frequent in the community; its prevalence in México is 6%. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of BP in Mexican communities and determine its most important characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study of individuals aged > 18 years was conducted in Mexico City and in urban communities in the state of Nuevo León. Sampling in Mexico City was based on community census and in Nuevo León, on stratified, balanced, and random sampling. Procedures included a door-to-door survey, using the Community Oriented Program for the Control of Rheumatic Diseases, to identify individuals with BP > 1 on a visual analog scale in the last 7 days. General practitioners/rheumatology fellows confirmed and characterized BP symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 8159 individuals (mean age 43.7 yrs, two-thirds female) were surveyed and 1219 had BP. The prevalence of nontraumatic BP in the last 7 days was 8.0% (95% CI 7.5-8.7). The mean age of these individuals was 42.7 years, and 61.9% were female. Thirty-seven percent had inflammatory BP [prevalence of 3.0% (95% CI 2.7-3.4)]. Compared with the state of Nuevo Léon, the characteristics and consequences of BP in Mexico City were more severe. In logistic regression analysis, living in Mexico City, having a paid job, any kind of musculoskeletal pain, high pain intensity, and obesity among other variables were associated with BP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of nontraumatic BP in the last 7 days in urban communities in México is 8.0%. However, clinical features and consequences differed among the communities studied, suggesting a role for local factors in BP.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, Hospital General de México, México DF.
authors.forename: Ingris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Peláez-Ballestas
authors.forename: Roxanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Flores-Camacho
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Amado
authors.forename: Luz Helena
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Sanin
authors.forename: Jorge Esquivel
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Valerio
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Navarro-Zarza
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: Lourdes L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Rivas
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casasola-Vargas
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burgos-Vargas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001416:Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018672:Community Health Planning; D003153:Community Health Services; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007390:International Agencies; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult