Takeaway
- 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level was not associated with low back pain (LBP) among adolescents in an area with high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency.
- Weight of school bag as a percentage of body weight was associated with LBP in adolescence.
Why this matters
- Several epidemiological studies have reported conflicting results regarding the association between vitamin D and LBP.
Study design
- A cross-sectional study of 760 adolescents in middle schools.
- Detailed data on LBP and its related factors were evaluated using data from a self-administered questionnaire and face-to-face interview.
- Funding: Kuwait University, Research Sector.
Key results
- The life-time prevalence of LBP and prevalence at 6 months in adolescent was 32.28% (95% CI, 28.97-35.73 %) and 21.26% (95% CI, 18.40-24.33%), respectively.
- The life-time prevalence of LBP was significantly higher in women compared with men (36.44% vs 28.24 %; P=.016).
- At 6 months, the prevalence of LBP in adolescents was significantly higher in women compared with men (24.27 % vs 18.44 %; P=.050).
- The allocated school (P=0.029), perceived weight of school bag (P<.001), weight of school bag as a percentage of the body weight (P=.015), and sleeping hours during weekdays (P=.037) were the predictor of LBP in adolescent during the past 6 months.
- No significant difference was observed in the geometric mean of 25(OH)D between adolescents with (28.50 nmol/L) and without (30.82 nmol/L) LBP in the past 6 months (P=.122).
- No significant association was observed between 25(OH)D and LBP in the univariant (P=.603) and multivariant (P=.457) analysis.
Limitations
- Study did not collect data on other musculoskeletal conditions.
References
References
