Die Rehabilitation
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Studies on selected populations lead to biased estimates of the prevalence of back pain and associated factors. In order to obtain a valid picture of the prevalence of back pain this review article focuses on epidemiological studies in the general population. These studies can be divided into general health surveys and surveys with specific reference to back pain. ⋯ Severe forms of back pain increase even in the higher age groups, especially in women. Beside this effect the reviewed articles show either no difference between men and women or only a slightly higher prevalence in women. The problems faced by epidemiological studies on back pain, resulting from different definitions of "the back", severity, chronicity and different methodology, are discussed in detail.