title: The effect of body mass index on recovery and return to work after onset of work-related low back pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of body mass index (BMI) on pain and function outcomes in the acute and subacute stages of work-related low back pain (LBP).
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort of working-age patients (410 male, 197 female) with recent onset LBP (≤14 days' duration) provided height and weight as part of a study of prognostic factors for back disability. Self-reported pain, functional limitation, and work status were assessed at 1- and 3-month follow-ups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BMI (kg/m) was used to categorize participants as normal (31%), overweight (40%), or obese (29%). In prediction analyses, outcomes of pain, functional limitation, and return to work showed no significant variation (P > 0.05) by BMI, with or without controlling for potential confounds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BMI is not a useful prognostic factor during the acute and subacute stages of work-related LBP.
authors.affiliation: Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA 01748, USA. william.shaw@libertymutual.com
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Torill H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Tveito
authors.forename: Mary Jane
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Woiszwillo
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pransky
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult