Prevalence of persistent low back pain in emerging adults: results from the 1970 British Cohort Study

Conference:

SAPC ASM 2018 - London

Talk Code:

P2.10

Presenter:

Me (Marrigje Nell)

Co-authors:

Elaine Nicholls, Rosie J. Lacey, Ross Wilkie, Martin Thomas, George Peat

Author institutions:

Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre, Research Institute for Primary Care & Health Sciences, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK

Problem

Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of years lived with disability in the UK population but it remains unclear when in the life course it begins. We sought to determine the occurrence of LBP in ‘emerging adulthood’ (age 18-29 years), a ‘hard-to-reach’ critical stage of life stage identified as a principal period of geographic motility. In which adolescents experience formative developmental and sociological transitions to independent adulthood and may include cumulative exposures that determine long-term health outcomes.

Approach

We used data on self-reported persistent LBP (‘Have you ever had or been told you had persistent back pain, lumbago or sciatica?’), healthcare use and age at onset from the 29-year follow-up of the 1970 British Cohort Study (n=11226). Data from follow-up at age 16 was used to evaluate accuracy of recalled age at onset of persistent LBP. Results are expressed as percentage prevalence with 95% Confidence Intervals.

Findings

At age 29 years, 1665/11226 reported ever having persistent LBP (lifetime prevalence at age 29 years: 14.9% (14.2, 15.5)), of whom 74.5% had experienced LBP in the last year (12 month period prevalence: 11.1% (10.5, 11.7)) and 57.8% had consulted their doctor during the past year (12-month period consulting prevalence: 6.4% (6.0, 6.9)). Prevalence rates were consistently slightly higher among women than men.81.1% (79.1, 82.9) reported that their persistent LBP began during emerging adulthood. The accuracy of recall for age at onset was good; 48/612 (7.8%) of those recalling persistent LBP beginning in emerging adulthood reported backache ‘most of the time’ at aged 16 years and 270/612, (44.1%)) reported backache ‘some of the time’. Both the age at onset and recall accuracy appeared independent of sex.

Consequences

1 in 7 persons will experience persistent LBP by the age of 29 years, half of whom will present to primary care. Further research should investigate (i) the impact of persistent LBP on the transition to independent adulthood, and (ii) the modifiable determinants of LBP before and during emerging adulthood.

Submitted by:

Marrigje Nell

Funding acknowledgement: