Musculoskeletal Comorbidities and Physical Activity Patterns in Adults Aged 50 Years and Above with Acute Low Back Pain in Rural Goa: A Cross-sectional Descriptive Study

Abstract

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability worldwide and particularly burdensome among older adults, who often have multiple musculoskeletal complaints and low physical activity levels. Objectives: To describe the demographic profile, musculoskeletal comorbidities, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity patterns among adults aged 50 years and above with acute LBP attending Rural Health & Training Centre (RHTC) in Goa, and to explore differences by gender and age group. Method: A hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 150 consecutively recruited participants using convenience sampling attending an acute low back pain screening camp at RHTC Mandur, Goa. Sociodemographic data, BMI, comorbid musculoskeletal pain and physical activity were recorded using a structured proforma & standard scales. Descriptive statistics (means with standard deviations, frequencies and percentages) and gender and age-stratified distributions were generated. Results: The mean age was 64.3 years (SD 9.15; range 51–87), and 55.3% were female; 58.7% were older than 60 years. Comorbid musculoskeletal complaints were frequent: knee pain (24.7%), hip pain (19.3%), shoulder pain (17.3%), ankle pain (13.3%) and generalised body pain (12.7%). Joint-specific pains commonly coexisted with LBP, with modest variation by gender. Conclusion: Among adults aged ≥50 years attending a rural screening camp with acute LBP, females and those over 60 years predominated, with high levels of multi-site musculoskeletal pain and suboptimal physical activity. These findings highlight the need for early identification and comprehensive management of musculoskeletal complaints, alongside counselling on appropriate activity levels, to reduce LBP-related functional limitations in rural clinic populations.