title: Health-related quality of life in subjects with low back pain and knee pain in a population-based cohort study of Japanese men: the Research on Osteoarthritis Against Disability study.
abstract: METHODS
  Cross-sectional surveys of health-related quality of life (QOL) in subjects with low back pain and knee pain using a population-based cohort.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to clarify the impact of low back pain and knee pain on QOL in men. In addition, we analyzed the impacts of vertebral fracture (VFx), lumbar spondylosis, and knee osteoarthritis (OA) on the magnitude of QOL loss in men with low back pain and knee pain.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Low back pain and knee pain are major public health issues causing disability among the elderly men, but there were no population-based studies to compare the impact of low back pain on QOL with that of knee pain in Japanese men.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 3040 participants in the Research on Osteoarthritis Against Disability study, data from 767 men older than 40 years who completed questionnaires (mean age = 69.7 years) were examined. To carry out the QOL assessment, the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 8 (SF-8) and EuroQol (EQ-5D) were used. We examined the association of low back pain and knee pain with QOL. Furthermore, we also examined the presence of VFx and the severity of lumbar spondylosis and knee OA with the magnitude of QOL loss in men with low back pain and knee pain, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The impact of low back pain on QOL was larger than that of knee pain. In men with low back pain, there were few associations between Kellgren-Lawrence grade and QOL, whereas VFx was associated with physical QOL. For men with knee pain, Kellgren-Lawrence grade equal to 4 knee OA was associated with QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed that low back pain has a larger impact than knee pain on QOL. Furthermore, low back pain with VFx is strongly associated with physical QOL loss.
authors: Department of Clinical Motor System Medicine, 22nd Century Medical & Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. murakis-ort@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors: Shigeyuki
authors: S
authors: Muraki
authors: Toru
authors: T
authors: Akune
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Oka
authors: Yoshio
authors: Y
authors: En-Yo
authors: Munehito
authors: M
authors: Yoshida
authors: Akihiko
authors: A
authors: Saika
authors: Takao
authors: T
authors: Suzuki
authors: Hideyo
authors: H
authors: Yoshida
authors: Hideaki
authors: H
authors: Ishibashi
authors: Fumiaki
authors: F
authors: Tokimura
authors: Seizo
authors: S
authors: Yamamoto
authors: Kozo
authors: K
authors: Nakamura
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Kawaguchi
authors: Noriko
authors: N
authors: Yoshimura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D010146:Pain / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012106:Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires