Low-back pain in adolescents is associated with poor hip mobility and high body mass index.
The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate whether body mass index (BMI) and hip mobility are associated with low-back pain (LBP) in adolescents. The study population included all adolescents in 8th and 9th grades in a rural and in an urban area in Eastern Norway. Eighty-eight adolescents participated (mean age 14.7 years), making the response rate 84%. LBP was assessed by a questionnaire answered in the classrooms as pain/discomfort in the low back during the preceding year. Body height and weight were measured, and BMI was calculated. Hip mobility was measured as active movements by a goniometer. The level of significance was set to P< or =0.05. In bivariate analysis for the whole group, LBP was associated positively with a higher than mean BMI, while LBP among boys was associated with a less than mean hip flexion, internal rotation, and hamstrings flexibility. In multiple regression analyses, adjusting for gender and well-being, LBP was associated with a higher than mean BMI, a less than mean hamstrings flexibility, and a less than mean hip flexion. The results suggest further prospective research to investigate whether poor hip mobility and high BMI may predict juvenile LBP.
Sjolie
Astrid Noreng
AN
Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. asjolie@hotmail.com
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009664:Norway