Low back pain (LBP) is a very common condition. Although most episodes of LBP are temporary, the risk of recurrence is high. Estimates are that between one-third and two-thirds of people who have an episode of LBP will have a recurrence within one year.

Exercise is the only intervention known to be effective for preventing recurrence of LBP, with evidence showing that it reduces the risk of recurrence by about 45 percent. However, it is unclear whether a typical person with LBP would be willing to commit to such a programme in order to reduce their risk of recurrence.

Willingness to engage with prevention programs might depend on personal characteristics (e.g., general health, self-efficacy to exercise, current engagement with exercise), their preferences for certain characteristics of exercise programmes (e.g., mode of delivery, supervision and duration of the programme), the cost of the programme, and to what extent the programme will reduce the risk of LBP.