title: Low back pain among office workers in three Spanish-speaking countries: findings from the CUPID study.
abstract: To assess the differences in the prevalence and incidence of low back pain (LBP) and associated disability among office workers in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Spain.
  
  
  
  Data were collected at baseline (n=947, 93% response) in November 2007 and at follow-up after 12 months (n=853, 90% response). Six outcome measures were examined: baseline prevalence of (1) LBP in the past 12 months, (2) LBP in the past month and (3) disabling LBP in the past month; and at follow-up: (4) incidence of new LBP in the past month, (5) new disabling LBP and (6) persistent LBP. Differences in prevalence by country were characterised by ORs with 95% CIs, before and after adjustment for covariates.
  
  
  
  Prevalence of LBP in the past month among office employees in Costa Rica (46.0%) and Nicaragua (44.2%) was higher than in Spain (33.6%). Incidence of new LBP was 37.0% in Nicaragua (OR=2.49; 95% CI 1.57 to 3.95), 14.9% in Costa Rica (OR=0.74; 95% CI 0.41 to 1.34) and 19.0% in Spain (reference). Incidence of new disabling LBP was higher in Nicaragua (17.2%; OR=2.49; 95% CI 1.43 to 4.34) and Costa Rica (13.6%; OR=1.89; 95% CI 1.03 to 3.48) than Spain (7.7%), while persistence of LBP was higher only in Nicaragua.
  
  
  
  Prevalence of LBP and disabling LBP was higher in Costa Rican and Nicaraguan office workers than in Spain, but the incidence was higher mainly in Nicaragua. Measured sociodemographic, job-related and health-related variables only partly explained the differences between countries, and further research is needed to explore reasons for the remaining differences.
authors: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.|Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica.
authors: Adriana
authors: 0000-0002-8398-349X
authors: A
authors: Campos-Fumero
authors: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.|Center for Research in Occupational Health (CiSAL), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain.
authors: George L
authors: GL
authors: Delclos
authors: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors: David I
authors: DI
authors: Douphrate
authors: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.|National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors: Sarah A
authors: SA
authors: Felknor
authors: Center for Research in Occupational Health (CiSAL), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Vargas-Prada
authors: Center for Research in Occupational Health (CiSAL), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain.|Department of Occupational Health, Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Consol
authors: C
authors: Serra
authors: Arthritis Research-UK/MRC Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.|Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Coggon
authors: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.|Center for Research in Occupational Health (CiSAL), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Gimeno Ruiz de Porras
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D003364:Costa Rica / Q000453:epidemiology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009527:Nicaragua / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D016272:Occupational Health; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D017132:Workplace; D055815:Young Adult