Epidemiology of back pain in a representative cohort of Italian persons 65 years of age and older: the InCHIANTI study.
METHODS
Clinico-epidemiologic study in the Chianti area (Tuscany, Italy).


OBJECTIVE
To describe prevalence and correlates of back pain in a representative sample of the population.


BACKGROUND
Back pain is common in old age and is related to functional limitations, but back pain characteristics and correlates in older adults, which may be targeted by specific interventions, are still underinvestigated.


METHODS
A total of 1,299 persons aged 65 or older were selected from the city registry of Greve in Chianti and Bagno a Ripoli; 1,008 (565 women; 443 men) were included in this analysis. Back pain in the past 12 months was ascertained using a questionnaire. Potential correlates of back pain were identified in age- and sex-adjusted regression analyses, and their independent association with back pain was tested in a multivariate model.


RESULTS
The prevalence of frequent back pain was 31.5%. Back pain was reported less often by men and the very old, was primarily located in the dorsolumbar and lumbar spine, was moderate in intensity and mainly elicited by carrying, lifting, and pushing heavy objects. Among participants who reported frequent back pain, 76.3% had no back pain-related impairments; 7.4% of the overall study population had back pain-related functional limitation. Back pain participants were significantly more likely to report difficulty in heavy household chores, carrying a shopping bag, cutting toenails, and using public transportation. Limited trunk extension, depression, low levels of prior-year physical activity, and hip, knee, and foot pain were independent correlates of back pain.


CONCLUSIONS
Frequent back pain is highly prevalent in the older population and is often associated with conditions that are potentially reversible.
Cecchi
Francesca
F
Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Institute for Recovery and Care with Scientific Character, Centro S. Maria agli Ulivi, Florence, Italy.
Debolini
Pierluigi
P
Lova
Raffaello Molino
RM
Macchi
Claudio
C
Bandinelli
Stefania
S
Bartali
Benedetta
B
Lauretani
Fulvio
F
Benvenuti
Enrico
E
Hicks
Gregory
G
Ferrucci
Luigi
L
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires