Relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and physical inactivity in adolescents

PurposeTo determine the correlation between musculoskeletal system disorders and the physical activity levels of adolescents.MethodsA total of 417 high school students were included in this cross-sectional study. To explain the musculoskeletal pain and physical activity, a self-administered questionnaire which included the Nordic International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) was distributed.ResultsThe standardised Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire showed that 57.3% of the students reported having musculoskeletal disorders in one or more body parts, and 52.2% of them consisted of girls. The mean weekly energy consumption as linked to the physical activity of the participants was found to be 2534.58 (2371.31) metabolic equivalent task (MET/wk): 45.8% of the individuals exhibited low levels of activity. A statistically significant relationship was found between experiencing upper/low back pain and the participants' low physical activity levels.Conclusions p id=Par4The current study has shown that the prevalence of MSDs was high among high school students, with a correlation being found between low physical activity and back pain. Physical activity levels should hence be considered when evaluating adolescents with musculoskeletal disorders.