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Home / Equine Research Bank / Sports (Basel) / Prevalence of Lower Back Pain and Risk Factors in Equestrian...
Sports (Basel, Switzerland)2024; 12(12); doi: 10.3390/sports12120355

Prevalence of Lower Back Pain and Risk Factors in Equestrians: A Systematic Review.

Abstract: This systematic review aimed to determine the prevalence of lower back pain (LBP) in equestrian athletes (EAs) and identify associated risk factors. Following the PRISMA guidelines, observational studies published between 2004 and 2024 in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and German were included. The review identified relevant studies through the Web of Science, EBSCO, MEDLINE, and SCOPUS (last search performed on 30 October 2024), yielding 14 studies with a total of 4527 participants. The question format for the included studies specified the population as equestrian athletes, the exposure as equestrian sports, and the outcome as lower back pain. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Observation Study Quality Evaluation tool, and six studies were deemed high-quality. LBP prevalence in EAs was higher than in the general and athlete population, with point prevalence ranging from 27.9% to 87.9%. Sport-specific factors, including workload and stable duties, were significant risk factors. Methodological inconsistencies, such as varying definitions of LBP and a lack of standardized exposure assessment, and the overall low quality of studies limited the comparability of findings. This review underscores the need for more high-quality research and tailored interventions addressing both riding and off-horse activities in EAs.
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Publication Date: 2024-12-19 PubMed ID: 39728895PubMed Central: PMC11679230DOI: 10.3390/sports12120355Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article presents a systematic review that explores the occurrence of lower back pain (LBP) in equestrian athletes (EAs) and associated risk factors.

Objective and Scope of the Research

  • The objective of this systematic review is to uncover how frequently lower back pain (LBP) occurs in equestrian athletes (EAs) and identify associated risk factors.
  • The researchers adhered to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines for their review process.
  • The scope of the review includes observational studies published between 2004 and 2024 in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and German.

Methodology

  • The researchers surveyed pertinent studies from scientific databases like the Web of Science, EBSCO, MEDLINE, and SCOPUS until their search concluded on 30 October 2024.
  • The survey corpus constituted 14 studies that involved a total of 4527 equestrian athletes.
  • The research questions for these studies inquired into their specific population (EAs), exposure (equestrian sports), and outcome (LBP).
  • To evaluate the potential risk of bias, researchers employed the Observation Study Quality Evaluation tool. The evaluation marked six studies as of high quality.

Findings

  • Measured by point prevalence (proportion of a population that has a condition at a particular point in time), the occurrence of LBP in equestrian athletes ranged between 27.9% to 87.9%. This was higher when compared with the general population and other athletes.
  • The review marked equestrian sport-specific factors, like workload and duties within the stable, as significant risk factors contributing to LBP.

Limitations and Recommendations

  • The review highlighted certain methodological inconsistencies in the surveyed studies. These included varying definitions of LBP and a lack of standard measures in ascertaining exposure.
  • General low quality of studies represented another limitation restricting the comparability across findings.
  • The review underscores the need for more high-quality research to improve our understanding of the problem. It also recommends interventions tailored to both riding related activities and off-horse tasks among EAs to combat LBP.

Cite This Article

APA
Duarte CR, Raimundo A, Sousa JP, Fernandes O, Santos R. (2024). Prevalence of Lower Back Pain and Risk Factors in Equestrians: A Systematic Review. Sports (Basel), 12(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12120355

Publication

Sports (Basel, Switzerland)
ISSN: 2075-4663
NlmUniqueID: 101722684
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 12

Researcher Affiliations

Duarte, Carlota Rico
  • Escola Superior de Biociências de Elvas, Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, 7300-110 Portalegre, Portugal.
  • CHRC-Comprehensive Health Research Centre, Universidade de Évora, 7004-516 Évora, Portugal.
Raimundo, Armando
  • CHRC-Comprehensive Health Research Centre, Universidade de Évora, 7004-516 Évora, Portugal.
  • Escola de Saúde e Desenvolvimento Humano, Universidade de Évora, 7004-516 Évora, Portugal.
Sousa, João Paulo
  • CHRC-Comprehensive Health Research Centre, Universidade de Évora, 7004-516 Évora, Portugal.
  • Escola de Saúde e Desenvolvimento Humano, Universidade de Évora, 7004-516 Évora, Portugal.
Fernandes, Orlando
  • CHRC-Comprehensive Health Research Centre, Universidade de Évora, 7004-516 Évora, Portugal.
  • Escola de Saúde e Desenvolvimento Humano, Universidade de Évora, 7004-516 Évora, Portugal.
Santos, Rute
  • Escola Superior de Biociências de Elvas, Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, 7300-110 Portalegre, Portugal.
  • VALORIZA-Research Centre for Endogenous Resource Valorization, Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, 7300-555 Portalegre, Portugal.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest related to the publication of this systematic review. While one of the included studies shares the same main author as this review, all efforts were made to minimize bias. The quality assessment for all studies, including the one authored by a member of this review team, was independently conducted by another reviewer who was not involved with the study. Additionally, no external funding or influences affected the outcomes or interpretations presented in this review.

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