The point prevalence and factors associated with neck pain

Abstract

Background: Neck pain is a significant disabling condition. Prevalence of neck pain is still not clearly stated in the literature due to the variation of its definition. It has a unique number of risk factors like history of neck pain, trauma, and certain sports injuries. In this study we measured the point prevalence of neck pain and the factors associated with it. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included a total of 461 participants. The collected data comprised participant characteristics: demographic, socioeconomical status, and nature of work. The Arabic Neck Disability Index was used to assess neck pain. Specific questions about possible associated factors were asked, such as duration of using electronics, type of posture, duration of reading. Results: The neck pain was stated by 64.6% of the study participants. The results demonstrated that participants who reported neck pain were mostly females (70.5%), single (56.6%), or had high educational level (70.2%). Slight infrequent headaches were the most significant Neck Disability Index indicator in 39.5% of the study participants. Conclusion: The prevalence of neck pain was 64.6%, of which, mostly were females. Body postures, reading hours, work-type, and self-rated use of cellphones and PCs were all significantly associated with neck pain. Moreover, headache, concentration, and working habits were the top most significant indicators of the NDI. However, headache was the most significant.