Article

OBJECTIVES: To describe the frequency with which members of the French general
population in the 30-to-69 age class sought care for lower back pain (LBP) from
various healthcare professionals and to identify associated parameters. METHODS: Data were collected in the 2002-2003 Decennale Sante survey, which
is representative of ordinary households in continental France. We assessed the
frequency with which the 17,792 surveyed individuals sought care for LBP by
considering consultations with healthcare professionals in general and
consultations with general practitioners and physiotherapists in particular.
RESULTS: Among the survey subjects, 4.5% reported that they had sought treatment
for LBP from a healthcare professional at least once during the 2-month survey
period. The decision to seek care was correlated with the characteristics of the
LBP. The duration of the pain was associated with the frequency of all types of
consultation studied here. Sociodemographic, economic and occupational risk
factors were also involved. Consultation with a physiotherapist was related to
income. CONCLUSION: These results from a representative sample of the French
general population show that the factors associated with seeking treatment for
LBP differ according to the type of healthcare professional consulted.
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Langue : ANGLAIS ; FRANCAIS