Objective:

To identify athletes’ beliefs and attitudes about low back pain (LBP) and, as a secondary objective, to determine whether these beliefs vary based on their LBP experience.

Materials and method:

A cross-sectional survey. Athletes (recreational, amateur, and professional) aged over 18 years with or without LBP were invited to participate in an online survey via social media. The Back Pain Attitudes Questionnaire (Back-PAQ) was used to evaluate their back beliefs. Back-PAQ items were classified into helpful, neutral, and unhelpful.

Results:

A total of 1591 responses were included in the analysis. The mean Back-PAQ total score was 113.1 (95% CI, 112.5 - 113.7), with a minimum score of 63 and a maximum score of 148. No statistically significant differences were observed between groups (p = 0.51). Athletes with current pain had more unhelpful beliefs than athletes with a LBP history: a mean of 115 (IQR 108 - 121) versus 113 (IQR 105 - 120); (p=0.002).

Conclusion:

Athletes had predominantly unhelpful beliefs about back pain, regardless of their level of competition. Misconceptions about the back being vulnerable and in need of protection were prevalent. Helpful beliefs about the prognosis of a LBP episode were identified.

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