Abstract
This study is based on data gathered by means of a postal questionnaire from a cohort of 640 38-year-old subjects. At the age of 14 years these subjects had been interviewed by their school doctor to ascertain whether any of them had a history of low back pain (LBP), and X-rays of the thoracic and lumbar spine were taken. The questionnaire contained related groups of questions, with LBP as the main topic. We wanted to identify probable risk factors in developing LBP. The results show a cumulative life-time prevalence of LBP of 70%, a 1-year prevalence of 63% and a point prevalence of 19%, independent of gender. Women reported a higher incidence of LBP than men during the month and week before they filled out the questionnaire, they also reported a higher incidence of sciatica and greater use of the health care system and analgestics over the previous year. Heavy manual work was associated with LBP and sciatica, and smoking (more than 16 cigarettes per day) was more common among unemployed and sick-listed subjects, Severe LBP was associated with increased morbidity, reduced work capacity, deterioration in social life, mental and sexual problems, and increased smoking. A stepwise logistic regression analysis of “early” independent variables indicated that severe LBP is positively correlated with low social class for men and with menstruation and pregnancy for women.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersson GBI (1981) Epidemiological aspects of low-back pain in industry. Spine 6:53–60
Biering-Sørensen F (1983) A prospective study of low back pain in a general population. 1. Occurrence, recurrence and aetiology. Scand J Rehabil 15:71–79
Biering-Sørensen F (1984) A one-year prospective study of low back trouble in a general population. Dan Med Bull 5:362–375
Biering-Sørensen F, Hilden J (1984) Reproducibility of the history of low back trouble. Spine 9:280–286
Biering-Sørensen F, Thomsen C (1986) Medical, social and occupational history as risk indicators for low-back trouble in a general population. Spine 11:720–725
Bigos SJ, Battie MC, Fisher LD (1991) Methodology for evaluating predictive factors for the report of back injury. Spine 6:669–670
Bredkjær SR (1989) Back complaints and other musculoskeletal symptoms in a Danish population (in Danish). Danish Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, Copenhagen
Crown S (1978) Psychological aspects of low back pain. Rheumatol Rehabil 17:114–124
Darre E, Ammundsen A, Fabrin J, Hansen LB, Thorsteinsson B (1982) A prospective investigation of back complaints in Danish conscripts (in Danish with English summary). Ugeskr Laeger 144:791–794
Deyo RA, Bass JE (1989) Lifestyle and low-back pain. The influence of smoking and obesity. Spine 14:501–507
Dixon WJ (1983) BMDP statistical software. University of California Press, Berkeley
Fast A, Shapiro D, Ducommun EJ, et al (1987) Back pain in pregnancy. Spine 12:368–371
Frymoyer JW, Pope MH, Constanca MC, Rosen JC, Goggin JE, Wilder DG (1980) Epidemiologic studies of lowback pain. Spine 5:419–423
Frymoyer JW, Pope MH, Clements JH, Wilder DG, MacPherson B, Ashikaga T (1983) Risk factors in low-back pain. J Bone Joint Surg [Am] 65:213–218
Gilchrist IC (1976) Psychiatric and social factors related to low back pain in general practice. Rheumatol Rehabil 15:101–107
Gyntelberg F (1974) One year incidence of low back pain among male residents of Copenhagen aged 40–59. Dan Med Bull 21:30–36
Hansen FJ (1984) Social class in Denmark mark (in Danish). Socialforskningsinstituttet, Copenhagen
Harreby MS, Neergaard K, Hesselsøe G, Kjer J (1995) Are radiological changes in the thoracic and lumbar spine of adolescents risk factors for low back pain in adults? Spine 21: 2298–2302
Heliovaara M (1989) Factors predicting work disability (in Finnish with English summary). Social Insurance Institute, Helsinki
Hosmer DW, Lemeshow S (1989) Applied logistic regression. Wiley, New York
Kelsey JL, White AA (1980) Epidemiology and impact of low back pain. Spine 5:133–142
Kourinka I, Jonsson B, Kiibom A, Vinterberg H, Biering-Sørensen F, Andersson G, Jørgensen K (1987) Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Appl Ergonomics 18:233–237
Magora A (1974) Investigation of the relation between low back pain and occupation. 6. Medical history and symptoms. Scand J Rehabil Med 6:81–88
Mantle MJ, Greenwood RM, Curry HLF (1977) Back ache in pregnancy. Rheumatol Rehabil 16:95–101
Nachemson AL (1976) The lumbar spine. An orthopaedic challenge. Spine 1:59–71
Nagi SZ, Riley LE, Newby LG (1973) Social epidemiology of back pain in a general population. J Chronic Dis 26: 769–779
Ostgaard HC, Andersson BJ, Karlsson K (1991) Prevalence of back pain in pregnancy. Spine 16:549–552
Pedersen PA (1980) Direct expenses in the health sector on account of low back pain in a general practice (in Danish with English summary). Ugeskr Laeger 142:854–856
Pheasant HC (1977) Backache—its nature, incidence and cost. West J Med 126:330–332
Rowe ML (1969) Low back pain in industry. A position paper. J Occup Med 11:161–169
Schroll M (1981) A longitudinal epidemiological survey of relative weight at age 25, 50 and 60 in a Glostrup population of men and women born in 1914. Dan Med Bull 28:106–116
Svensson HO (1982) Low back pain in 40–47 year old men. 2. Socioeconomic factors and previous sickness absence. Scand J Rehab Med 14:55–60
Svensson HO, Andersson GBJ, Hagstad A, Jansson PO (1990) The relationship of low-back pain to pregnancy and gynecologic factors. Spine 15:371–375
Videman T, Nurminen T, Tola S, et al (1984) Low back pain in nurses and some loading factors of work. Spine 9: 400–404
Westrin CG (1974) The reliability of auto-anamnesis. A study of statements regarding low back trouble. Scand J Soc Med 2:23–35
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Harreby, M., Kjer, J., Hesselsøe, G. et al. Epidemiological aspects and risk factors for low back pain in 38-year-old men and women: a 25-year prospective cohort study of 640 school children. Eur Spine J 5, 312–318 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00304346
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00304346