OBJECTIVES: Modern lifestyles have increased the amount of sedentary time of people, resulting in the frequent occurrence of low back pain (LBP) worldwide. The Low Back Pain Knowledge Questionnaire (LBPKQ) is an instrument to assess specific knowledge among people with LBP. Self-efficacy of people with LBP is important in prevention and rehabilitation, which affects mobility and prognosis. Studying people’s knowledge of LBP in different cultures can help physiotherapists to develop individualized treatment when dealing with different populations.

METHODS: A cross-sectional controlled study was carried out in 262 people (136 Chinese adults who live in Hungary, 126 Hungarian) in 2021. Their demographic data were collected. The LBPKQ and Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire were used as the measurements in Hungarian and Chinese language. The statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 28.0 software, the level of significance was set at p<0.05.

RESULTS: Mean age of the participants was 25 (Chinese: 25.63±7.06, Hungarian: 25.06±6.06) years. More than twice as many of all Hungarian participants had a medical education than those without. The mean score of LBPKQ in Chinese was 10.46±4.36, Hungarians was 14.17±4.44 which was significantly higher than Chinese (p<0.001). In questions related to basic definition of LBP, Hungarians answered correctly more than Chinese. On the question about prevention and treatment of LBP, the Chinese scored higher than the Hungarians. Among Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, the score of two groups (Chinese: 6.14±4.61, Hungarian: 6.50±5.82) did not show a significant difference (x²=1.809, p=0.179>0.5).

CONCLUSIONS: The degree of knowledge about LBP varies between cultures exist and may affect the incidence and prognosis of LBP.