Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pa 15261.
We assessed the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in a cohort of 1242 adolescents (aged 11 through 17) currently participating in a 4-year prospective study of medically treated injuries. Overall, 30.4% of the adolescents reported LBP. The impact of LBP in adolescents was considerable, with one third resulting in restricted activity and 7.3% seeking medical attention. Life-table analysis demonstrated that by age 15, the prevalence of LBP increased to 36%. There were few differences by gender or race. These results suggest that LBP in adolescents is a serious public health problem.