Prevalence and Predictors of Coccydynia Among Allied Health Science Students: The Influence of Prolonged Sitting, Physical Activity, and Body Mass Index

Abstract

Coccydynia is a painful musculoskeletal disorder that affects the coccyx (tailbone) and is frequently related to extended sitting, poor posture, trauma, obesity, and the lack of proper ergonomic support. Allied health students often sit for long periods of time, making them more vulnerable to coccygeal pain and functional problems. To find the prevalence of coccydynia and investigate sitting-related factors in allied health students of private institutes in Lahore, Pakistan. This study was a cross-sectional study in which the sample size was 288 students of private allied health institutes of Lahore. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants. The self-structured questionnaire and the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) were used to collect data. Demographic characteristics, body mass index (BMI), length of sitting time, type of chair used, use of cushions, tenderness around the coccyx, and pain characteristics were included in the variables. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS 26, and results were presented as frequencies and percentage. The average age of the subjects was 21.3 ± 2.4 years; 70.8% were female subjects. Overall, 24.0% (n=69) of the participants experienced tailbone pain. Almost 78.1% seated for over four hours per day, and 93.4% of students indicated that they did not use cushions when sitting. The most common seating surface was wooden chairs (45.8%), followed by plastic chairs (41.0%). Of the patients, 16.7% reported acute pain and 5.6% reported chronic pain. A round of tenderness around the coccyx was found in 9.7 per cent of students. A higher percentage of symptomatic students reported sitting for extended periods of time and sitting on hard seating surfaces. About 25% of allied health students suffered from coccydynia. Sitting on hard chairs, poor ergonomic support, and sitting for long periods each day seem to be significant factors of coccygeal pain. Educational programs that educate students about posture correction and implementation of ergonomic interventions can decrease the incidence of coccydynia amongst students.