Neck and Low Back Pain in Medical Students at The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica

September 3, 2025 updated by: Paula Dawson, MBBS, The University of The West Indies

The Prevalence of Neck and Low Back Pain in Medical Students at The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica

The purpose of this study is to identify the prevalence of neck and low back pain in medical students enrolled at the University of the West Indies, Mona; to assess their knowledge, attitude and practice of good spine health and to determine the outcome of a standardised spine exercise program on medical students experiencing neck and low back pain, using a prospective randomised control design.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

There is a surfeit of literature on musculoskeletal pain especially that of neck and low back pain, which are commonly associated with lifestyle practices including varied occupations that affect individuals of all ages.

Medical students in the clinical years of training are more likely to be involved in prolonged and strenuous activities such as standing during ward rounds, bending forward to examine patients and occasionally engaging in manual handling of patients. During the early phase of preclinical training, medical students primarily sit for extended periods in lectures, use computers or tablets, or study in the library while completing assignments. These practices may all contribute to the increased risk of developing neck and low back pain among other musculoskeletal problems, especially in instances where the strength and stability of the spine is not maintained and safe spine precautions are not taken.

To the researcher's knowledge, there is no published study in Jamaica, or in the wider Caribbean, which looks at the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain -- specifically neck and low back pain in medical students. This study aims to determine the prevalence of neck and low back pain in medical students at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, as well as to assess their knowledge, attitude and practice toward good spine health in preventing neck and low back pain.

Using a prospective randomised control study model for students experiencing neck and low back pain, this study will evaluate the outcome of a standardised spine exercise program in participants over an eight (8) week period. These participants will be randomly assigned to the clinical control group (Group A), which will receive no intervention, or the intervention group (Group B), which will follow a standardised spine exercise program over the stipulated period. Data will be collected using Questionnaires A and B, the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ), and the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). The outcomes of both groups will then be compared to determine the program's effectiveness in reducing discomfort and promoting better knowledge, attitude and practice towards spine health among medical students.

The identity of all participants will be protected and will only be identified by an assigned study number. Basic demographic information, presenting complaints and outcome information will be obtained for the purposes of the study. All data will be managed securely using REDCap, a password-protected, web-based platform compliant with national data protection standards. Data exported for analysis will be handled using SPSS software, ensuring confidentiality is maintained throughout. All records will be securely destroyed three years after study completion.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

1000

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Jamaica
      • Kingston, Jamaica
        • Recruiting
        • Faculty of Medical Sciences Teaching and Research Complex, University of The West Indies-Mona Campus
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Paula U.A Dawson, MBBS, Diplomate ABPMR
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Maxim U.S.I Christmas, MBBS, DM Ortho
        • Contact:
    • Kingston
      • Kingston, Kingston, Jamaica, JMAAW15
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Faculty of Medical Sciences Teaching and Research Complex,The University of the West Indies, University Hospital of the West Indies
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. All students enrolled in the medical program at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica during the period October 1, 2018 to January 2, 2026.
  2. Individuals who express a willingness to consent to the study.
  3. Individuals who express a willingness to adhere to the standardised exercise program for the stipulated period.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Individuals with a history of having spine surgery.
  2. Individuals who were previously diagnosed with spine pathology and currently receiving rehabilitation therapy.
  3. Individuals who express an unwillingness to participate in the study.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Other: Clinical Control (Group A)
All participants will complete the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaires (CMDQ) to assess the frequency, discomfort and interference with work due to musculoskeletal pain; the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) to assess for perceived pain; as well as Questionnaire A to assess their knowledge, attitude and practice towards musculoskeletal problems of neck or low back pain. Participants who are found to have neck or low back pain will be randomised into two (2) groups: a clinical control group (Group A) and an intervention group (Group B). Group A will not be given any exercise programs over an eight (8) week period after which time, participants will be reassessed using the CMDQ and NRS, as well as a Questionnaire B to evaluate for changes in their knowledge, attitude and practice towards musculoskeletal problems of the neck and low back pain, without having received any intervention.
Behavioral: Clinical Control Group (Group A)
The participants who reported the presence of neck or low back pain and were assigned to the clinical control group (Group A) after randomisation will not receive the intervention of an exercise program. The interventional group (Group B) will be asked to keep the standardised exercise program confidential and not share with the control group (Group A). After eight (8) weeks, Group A participants will receive: the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaires (CMDQ) to assess for changes in the frequency, discomfort and interference with work due to musculoskeletal pain; a Questionnaire B, to ascertain any changes in their pain level using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS); as well as their knowledge, attitude and practice towards musculoskeletal problems of the neck and low back pain, without having received any intervention.
Other: Spine Exercise Program (Group B)
All participants will complete the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaires (CMDQ) to assess the frequency, discomfort and interference with work due to musculoskeletal pain; the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) to assess for perceived pain; as well as Questionnaire A to assess their knowledge, attitude and practice towards musculoskeletal problems of neck or low back pain. Participants who are found to have neck or low back pain will be randomised into two (2) groups: a clinical control group (Group A) and an intervention group (Group B). Group B will be given a standardised spine exercise program over an eight (8) week period, after which time they will be reassessed using the CMDQ and NRS, as well as Questionnaire B to evaluate for changes in their knowledge, attitude and practice towards musculoskeletal problems of the neck and low back pain, having received the intervention.
Behavioral: Spine Exercise Program (Group B)
The standardised spine exercise program will be provided in a handout and given only to the intervention group (Group B), and will include simple basic neck or low back exercises to be done three (3) times per week, as well as brief stretching exercises, to be done during periods of sitting for greater than sixty (60) minutes. The selected participants will be asked to comply with instructions on the handout. Participants who experience worsening of their symptoms, or who develop new symptoms will be assessed as having an adverse outcome and will be withdrawn from the study.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change from Baseline in the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ)
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at eight (8) weeks
The Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire measures the frequency, discomfort and interference with work due to musculoskeletal pain, as reported by participants. The individually reported frequency score is then multiplied by the discomfort score and by the interference score to determine overall severity of pain experienced. This tallied score is then classified by severity into: no discomfort (0), mild (1 to 4.5), moderate (5 to 14), severe (15 - 45) and very severe (45 or higher). All participants will complete this assessment upon enrollment, as well as after an eight (8) week period of treatment, to evaluate any changes in their reported scores.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at eight (8) weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Musculoskeletal Problems of Neck and Low back Pain (Questionnaire A)
Time Frame: Done at the time of enrollment (Baseline)
Questionnaire A is a self-administered general questionnaire used to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice towards musculoskeletal problems of neck and low back pain.
Done at the time of enrollment (Baseline)
Change from Baseline in Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Musculoskeletal Problems of Neck and Low Back Pain (Questionnaire B)
Time Frame: From Enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Questionnaire B is a self-administered general questionnaire used to evaluate changes in knowledge, attitude and practice towards musculoskeletal problems of neck and low back pain.
From Enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Change from Baseline in the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)
Time Frame: From Enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
The Numeric Rating Scale is a reliable and valid, unidimensional 11-point scale used for patient self-reporting of perceived pain. Its scale uses integers which range from zero (0) to ten (10), where 0 represents no pain, and 10 represents the worst imaginable pain. This is then categorised into mild (1-3), moderate (4-6), and severe (7-10). All participants will complete this assessment upon enrollment, as well as after an eight (8) week period of treatment, to evaluate any changes in their perceived pain. This scale is from public domains and as such, permission for its use is not required.
From Enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

The University of The West Indies

Collaborators

The University of The West Indies, Mona

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Paula U. A. Dawson, MBBS, Diplomate ABPMR, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 1, 2018

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 2, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 2, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 10, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 15, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

October 16, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

September 10, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 3, 2025

Last Verified

July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • ECP 248, 13/14

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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