{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]],"date-time":"2026-05-28T16:05:44Z","timestamp":1779984344610,"version":"3.53.1"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]],"date-time":"2026-05-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779926400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":27,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,27]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,5]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a leading global cause of disability and imposes significant social and economic burdens in rural sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Mobile health (mHealth) technologies offer opportunities to improve CLBP management in areas with limited physiotherapy services. However, the effectiveness and cultural appropriateness of mHealth interventions for CLBP in SSA remain insufficiently evaluated.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This systematic review will evaluate the effectiveness of culturally tailored mHealth interventions for adults with CLBP in rural SSA. The review will also identify barriers to implementing these interventions in rural SSA settings.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods and analysis<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This protocol outlines a mixed-methods systematic review that will evaluate the effectiveness of culturally tailored mHealth interventions for CLBP and identify barriers to their implementation in rural SSA. A comprehensive search will be conducted across multiple databases, including MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science and African Journals Online. Eligible studies will include randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental, observational and qualitative studies. Risk of bias (RoB) will be assessed using design-specific tools, including the Cochrane RoB 2 tool and Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklists. Quantitative and qualitative findings will be synthesised using a convergent integrated approach. Where appropriate, meta-analysis will be conducted; otherwise, a structured narrative synthesis will be undertaken.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Ethics and dissemination<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Ethical approval is not required as this study involves analysis of published data. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and engagement with relevant stakeholders to inform policy and practice.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2025-112787","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]],"date-time":"2026-05-28T15:25:41Z","timestamp":1779981941000},"page":"e112787","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Culturally tailored mHealth interventions for chronic low back pain in rural sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review protocol"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9565-9147","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bashir","family":"Bello","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria"},{"name":"Lifestyle Disease Research Entity, Faculty of Health Science, North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdullahi","family":"Adejare","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lifestyle Disease Research Entity, Faculty of Health Science, North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, South Africa"},{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ushotanefe","family":"Useh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lifestyle Disease Research Entity, Faculty of Health Science, North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026052808252327000_16.5.e112787.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1731","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(25)01330-3","article-title":"Global age-sex-specific all-cause mortality and life expectancy estimates for 204 countries and territories and 660 subnational locations, 1950\u20132023: a demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023","volume":"406","author":"Schumacher","year":"2025","journal-title":"The Lancet"},{"key":"2026052808252327000_16.5.e112787.2","unstructured":"WHO . Low Back Pain: World Health Organization, Available: https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/low-back-pain [Accessed 15 Jul 2025]."},{"key":"2026052808252327000_16.5.e112787.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(18)30480-X"},{"key":"2026052808252327000_16.5.e112787.4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.21037\/atm.2020.02.175","article-title":"Global low back pain prevalence and years lived with disability from 1990 to 2017: estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017","volume":"8","author":"Wu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ann Transl Med"},{"key":"2026052808252327000_16.5.e112787.5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"621","DOI":"10.2478\/s13382-013-0135-x","article-title":"Prevalence and impacts of low back pain among peasant farmers in South-West Nigeria","volume":"26","author":"Tella","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int J Occup Med Environ Health"},{"key":"2026052808252327000_16.5.e112787.6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.2196\/58841","article-title":"Challenges to Rehabilitation Services in Sub-Saharan Africa From a User, Health System, and Service Provider Perspective: Scoping Review","volume":"12","author":"Cyuzuzo","year":"2025","journal-title":"JMIR Hum Factors"},{"key":"2026052808252327000_16.5.e112787.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Freudenberg N . Health and Culture: Beyond the Western Paradigm. 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