Background In China, there is little research supply the data of the prevalence rate of IBP and axial spondyloarthritis (axial SpA). However, IBP and axial spondyloarthritis were common in China, so it is important to get the data about them.

Objectives Inflammatory back pain (IBP) is an important clinical features for ankylosing spondylitis and axial spondyloarthritis. We conducted an epidemiological study in a university detect prevalence rate of IBP and axial SpA.

Methods 3770 students from South China Agricultural University were enrolled in our study. We investigate the patients information by questionnaires face to face. We collected patients' parameters including the parameters for diagnosis of IBP criteria (ASAS), which include onset age, insidious onset, improvement with exercise, no improvement with rest and pain at night. We also collected the parameters for diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis criteria (ASAS). To assess prevalence rate of IBP and axial spondyloarthritis.

Results (1) Data of the 3770 students enrolled were shown as follows: mean age was 19.48±2.80 years; female to male ratio was 1.45:1 (2229/1541). (1) 731 students (19.39%) had back pain. In these students, female to male ratio was 1.97:1 (485/246). (2) In patients who had the back pain, 111 (15.18%) students had IBP. In other word, in all students who involved in, 2.94% of them had Inflammatory back pain IBP. (3) After investigation, we found 333 students had received the HLA-B27 examination. 19 (5.71%) students were positive. And 13 students (3.90%) of them who had result of HLA-B27 were diagnosed as axial SpA. Based on the data, the prevalence rate of back pain and IBP was 19.39% and 2.94%, respectively. The prevalence rate of axial SpA were 3.90%. (4) Although more female students than male ones had back pain, more male than female ones were diagnosed as axial SpA (Back pain: Female/Male: 485/246, Axial SpA:Female/Male:4/9; P=0.014).

Conclusions In the south of China, the prevalence rate of back pain and IBP was 19.39% and 2.94% in university respectively, and the prevalence rate of axial SpA were 3.90%. Although more female students than male ones had back pain, male ones were more likely to suffer from axial SpA.

Acknowledgement This study was supported by 5010 Subject (2007) of Sun Yat-Sen University, the National Natural Science Foundation for the Youth NSFY of China (Grant no. 81302583), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (12ykpy34) and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (Outstanding youth Project)(2014A030306039), and the project of science and technology new star in Zhu Jiang Guangzhou city.

Disclosure of Interest None declared