title: Is back pain during childhood or adolescence associated with muscle strength, muscle endurance or aerobic capacity: three systematic literature reviews with one meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Back pain is a common condition during childhood and adolescence. The causes of back pain are largely unknown but it seems plausible that some physical factors such as back muscle strength, back muscle endurance and aerobic capacity may play a role in its development, in particular in the early years.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of this review were to investigate in childhood and adolescence 1) if muscular strength in trunk extension is associated with back pain, 2) if muscular endurance in trunk extension is associated with back pain and 3) if aerobic capacity is associated with back pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three systematic critical literature reviews with one meta-analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic searches were made in June 2014 in PubMed, Embase and SportDiscus including longitudinal, retrospective or cross-sectional studies on back pain for subjects <20 years. Articles were accepted if they were written in French or English. The review process followed the AMSTAR recommendations. The possibility of conducting a meta-analysis was assessed for each research question.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four articles were included for the first objective, four for the second and three for the last. None of the included articles found an association between back muscle strength in extension and back pain. For the second objective, a protective association between back muscle endurance in extension and back pain was found, later confirmed in a meta-analysis (OR = 0.75, 95 % CI 0.58-0.98). The association between aerobic capacity and back pain is not clear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High back muscle endurance in extension appears protective of back pain in youngsters, but the roles of high back muscle strength in extension and aerobic capacity are less clear.
authors.affiliation: EA 4532 CIAMS, Université Paris-Sud, UFR STAPS, 91405 Orsay, France ; Institut Franco-Européen de Chiropraxie, 24 Bld Paul Vaillant Couturier, 94200 Ivry sur Seine, France.
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lardon
authors.affiliation: EA 4532 CIAMS, Université Paris-Sud, UFR STAPS, 91405 Orsay, France ; Institut Franco-Européen de Chiropraxie, 24 Bld Paul Vaillant Couturier, 94200 Ivry sur Seine, France ; Research Department Spine centre of Southern Denmark Hospital, Hospital Lillebælt Middelfart, Institute of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leboeuf-Yde
authors.affiliation: EA 4532 CIAMS, Université Paris-Sud, UFR STAPS, 91405 Orsay, France.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Le Scanff
keywords: Adolescent; Aerobic capacity; Back muscle endurance; Back muscle strength; Back pain; Children; Meta-analysis; Systematic review