Epidemiology, Clinical Patterns, and Treatment Modalities of Low Back Pain in Non-Pregnant Adult Outpatient Consultations at the Kumba Regional Hospital Annex, Southwest Region of Cameroon

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common reasons for medical consultation, as most people experience LBP at some point in their lifetime. LBP is also one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, increasingly becoming a major public health concern. Despite the importance of epidemiological data in guiding clinical management, there is a scarcity of such data in the Southwest Region of Cameroon (SWRC). We, therefore aimed to describe the epidemiology, clinical patterns, and treatment modalities of LBP in non-pregnant outpatients at the Kumba Regional Hospital Annex (KRHA), SWRC. Methods: We carried out a hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive study from December 1, 2023, to April 1, 2024, at the outpatient department of the KRHA. A structured pre-tested data entry form was used to collect data from adult patients who presented with LBP and who consented to participate in the study. Data obtained included socio-demographic characteristics, relevant past medical history, clinical features, physical examination findings, and the various treatment modalities received after consultation. The data were entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26.0. Bivariate analysis was used to describe factors associated with LBP, and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of a total of 4009 patients who were consulted during the period, 607 non-pregnant patients presented with LBP (hospital-based prevalence of 15.1%). The mean age (±standard deviation) of the participants was 56.7 (±14.3) years, with female predominance (sex ratio 2:1). The most common clinical pattern of LBP was chronic mechanical LBP (n = 576; 94.9%) associated with radiculopathy (n = 442; 76.7%). Factors that were unadjustably significantly associated with the development of LBP were female gender (OR: 1.48, 95% CI:1.24 - 1.77), overweight (OR: 3, 95% CI: 2.5 - 3.7), and a patient age of >50 years (OR: 3.8, 95% CI: 3.3 - 4.6). The major treatment modalities were lifestyle modification measures combined with the prescription of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (n = 607; 100.0%), opioids (n = 580; 95.6%) and myorelaxants (n = 576; 94.9%), with less than 10% of the cases requiring any form of medical referral or evacuation for more specialized care. Conclusion: LBP is a common problem encountered in outpatient consultations, and most of its patterns can be identified by adequate clinical examination. Proper understanding of the factors