Body Mass Index and Its Influence on Chronic Low Back Pain in the Spanish Population: A Secondary Analysis from the European Health Survey (2020)

Abstract

Risk factors such as obesity and a sedentary lifestyle contribute to the development of chronic low back pain. Purpose: To describe how body mass index (BMI) influences the prevalence of chronic low back pain in the general Spanish population and assess this influence given other factors as sex, age, physical occupational demands, and recreational physical activity. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional design was performed based on secondary data from the European Health Survey in Spain (2020). Data on age, gender, physical occupational demands, physical activity, BMI, and presence of chronic low back pain were extracted. Results: A total of 19,716 (52.2% women) subjects with a median age of 53 years old were analyzed. Of these, 18.3% had chronic low back pain, 39% were overweight, and 16.1% were obese. The adjusted generalized linear model showed that being obese increased the odds of chronic low back pain by 1.719 times (p p p p p < 0.001). Conclusions: Obesity is related with the presence of chronic low back pain in the general Spanish population. This association persists, being the more relevant factor, after adjusting the association of BMI and chronic low back pain with other factors such as sex, age, physical occupational demands, and recreational physical activity.

Keywords

• body mass index
• chronic low back pain
• prevention
• physical activity