Prevalence of Sleep Disturbance and Its Association With Low Back Pain Among Students of Gulab Devi Educational Complex

Abstract

Background: Sleep disturbance is increasingly recognized as a modifiable determinant of pain chronification, particularly in young adults exposed to academic and ergonomic stressors. Disrupted sleep alters pain modulation and inflammatory pathways, potentially aggravating low back pain (LBP) and related disability. Objective: To determine the prevalence of insomnia and its association with LBP severity among undergraduate students at Gulab Devi Educational Complex, Lahore. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 194 students (aged 18–28 years) using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Associations were analyzed using chi-square and Cramer’s V, while odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) quantified the relationship between LBP severity and clinical insomnia (ISI≥15). Results: Insomnia was highly prevalent (64.9%), increasing progressively with LBP severity (χ²=39.92, p<0.001; Cramer’s V=0.232). Clinical insomnia was present in 9.1% of mild, 30.9% of moderate, and 61.5% of severe LBP cases. Compared with mild LBP, the odds of clinical insomnia were 4.30 (95% CI 1.90–9.72) for moderate and 14.72 (95% CI 4.16–52.10) for severe LBP. Female students reported higher insomnia rates (p=0.0318). Conclusion: Insomnia is common and significantly associated with greater LBP severity in students. Integrating sleep assessment and early non-pharmacologic interventions may reduce pain burden and improve student well-being.