THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LIFESTYLE, STRESS LEVEL, AND CHRONIC PAIN IN YOUNG PEOPLE

Abstract

Relevance. In recent years, there has been a trendtowards an increase in cases of chronic pain among youngindividuals, leading to a deterioration of theirhealth and quality of life. The issue of a sedentarylifestyle and psychosocialstress is acute in modernsociety, significantlyspreading among the youth, and may, in turn, contribute to the onset of chronic pain. Research on theseissues among youngindividuals is of greatinterest and requires the application of preventiveinterventions to preservehealth and improve quality of life. Objective. To assess the lifestyle, subjectivestress levels, and the prevalence of chronic pain among youngindividuals to identifyat-riskgroups and implementtimelypreventive and therapeuticmeasures. Materials and Methods. A survey of 160 youngindividualsaged 18-35 wasconducted. The PerceivedStressScale (PSS- 10) wasemployed to determine the subjectivestresslevel. The surveycoveredlifestyle, subjectivehealthassessment, and physical activity levels, takingintoaccount the recommendations of the World Health Organization. Results. In assessinglifestyle, it wasfound that 34.6% of respondentslacked adequate levels of physical activity, 28% hadbodymassindex (BMI) valuesoutside the normalrange, and approximately 24.4% spentmorethan 6 hoursperday in a sedentaryposition, indicatingprolongedsitting as a riskfactor for chronic backpain. Sleepdisturbanceswereobserved in 71% of the participants. Most respondents (74%) reported a moderatelevel of stress, while 12% experienced a high level of subjectivestress, and 58% reported chronic pain. Conclusions. The majority of youngindividualsexperience chronic pain, with a prevalence of pain in the lowerback and mixed-character chronic pain. There is an associationbetween chronic pain and lifestylefactorssuch as sedentarywork, physical inactivity, sleepdisturbances, and high levels of stress.