Excess weight a risk factor for low back pain in young people

Children and adolescents with overweight and obesity may be predisposed to low back pain, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Researchers searched multiple online databases for studies in which low back pain was analysed in relation to overweight and obesity in participants between 6 and 18 years of age. The ROBINS-E tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias, while random-effects models were used to pool results across studies, with location-scale models applied to examine moderator variables where evidence of heterogeneity was found.

A total of 34 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The risk of bias was low in four studies, while some concerns were found in the remaining 30 studies.

Pooled data from nine studies showed evidence of an association between overweight and low back pain. Participants with overweight had 13-percent greater odds of having low back pain relative to those with normal weight (odds ratio [OR], 1.13, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.10–1.16). No heterogeneity was found.

Data pooled from eight studies showed a similar association for obesity. Compared with those who had normal weight, participants with obesity had 27-percent greater odds of having low back pain (OR, 1.27, 95 percent CI, 1.20–1.34). No heterogeneity was found.

Likewise, in 10 studies, overweight/obesity was associated with 18-percent greater odds of having low back pain compared with normal weight (OR, 1.18, 95 percent CI, 1.14–1.23), with no heterogeneity.

Finally, in 19 nineteen studies, higher body mass index was associated with low back pain (OR, 1.19, 95 percent CI, 1.03–1.39), with evidence of heterogeneity.