ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between the low back pain of college students and psychological factors by using a questionnaire for low back pains and five psychological tests. The tests consisted of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Purpose in Life (PIL) test, Hassles Scale for students and Type A test. The subjects were 337 college students (126 male, 211 female) ranging in age from 19 to 22 (mean ± SD: 20.2 ± 1.3) years. Seventy-four subjects whose lower back pain was thought to be caused by organic factors were excluded. The 263 subjects (102 males, 161 females, mean ± SD: 20.1 ± 1.1 years) were divided into three groups (NP: subjects with no pain, PND: subjects with pain but no difficulties in daily life, PD: subjects with pain and difficulties in daily life) by degrees of low back pain. The PD subjects showed a more negative attitude than those in the PND and/or NP groups for four tests, i.e., Hassles Scale and the psychosomatic component of the HSCL and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory tests. It was suggested that low back pain was related to psychological factors such as stress and anxiety.