title: Has the prevalence of neck pain and low back pain changed over the last 5 years? A population-based national study in Spain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  No study has determined time trends of neck pain and low back pain (NP&LBP) in the 20th century in Spain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate current 1-year prevalence of NP&LBP using data from the 2009 European Health Survey and to analyze the time trends in the prevalence of NP&LBP from 2005 to 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based national study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 51,666 subjects were finally included.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 2006 Spanish National Health Survey (SNHS) and the 2009 European Health Interview Survey for Spain (EHISS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from the 2006 SNHS (n=29,478) and the 2009 EHISS (n=22,188). We considered the presence of NP, LBP, and both NP&LBP. We analyzed sociodemographic features, self-perceived health status, lifestyle habits, and comorbid diseases using logistic regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2009, the 1-year prevalence was 5.2% (95% confidence interval 4.8-5.5) for NP, 7.9% (7.4-8.3) for LBP, and 10.6% (10.2-11.1) for NP&LBP. Women increased the probability of NP and NP&LBP but decreased the probability of LBP. The prevalence of all pain localizations increased with age. Not practicing exercise or being obese was associated with lower NP and higher NP&LBP. One-year prevalence of NP decreased from 2006 (7.57%) to 2009 (5.18%) (prevalence ratio [PR] 0.66, 0.60-0.72; men: 0.68, 0.61-0.75; women: 0.66, 0.60-0.72). The prevalence of LBP did not change (PR 0.93, 0.86-101) from 2006 (8.34%) to 2009 (7.86%). The prevalence of NP&LBP decreased from 12.53% in 2006 to 10.61% in 2009 (PR 0.81, 0.75-0.86; men: 7.73% to 6.36%, PR 0.80, 0.70-0.90; women: 17.15% to 14.69%, PR 0.81, 0.74-0.87).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of NP and NP&LBP, but not LBP, has decreased in the last years in Spain. NP&LBP were associated with similar sociodemographic and lifestyle habits in 2009 compared with 2006.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Facultad Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Departamental II, Despacho 1079, Avenida de Atenas s/n, 28922 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: cesar.fernandez@urjc.es.
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernández-de-Las-Peñas
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alonso-Blanco
authors.forename: Valentín
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hernández-Barrera
authors.forename: Domingo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palacios-Ceña
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jiménez-García
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carrasco-Garrido
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Health surveys; Low back pain; Neck pain; Time trends