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Heavy domestic, but not recreational, physical activity is associated with low back pain: Australian Twin low BACK pain (AUTBACK) study

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the association between domestic and recreational physical activity (PA) and low back pain (LBP) after adjusting for genetic and environmental influences.

Methods

Twins were recruited through the Australian twin registry. LBP prevalence and domestic (vigorous gardening/heavy yard work) and recreational (light walking, moderate/vigorous) PA were assessed by a validated questionnaire. Associations were analysed using a cross-sectional analysis of the complete sample of 486 twins, including a matched case–control analysis of 69 twin pairs discordant for LBP. Logistic regression and the lincom post-estimation method were used for the analysis. Odds ratios (OR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Results

The case–control analysis showed that LBP was significantly associated with heavy domestic PA (OR 2.88, 95 % CI 1.29–6.43), whereas no significant association was found with any form of recreational PA. The results of the lincom command indicated that being engaged in both heavy domestic and recreational PA (light walking or moderate/vigorous) was associated with a significantly increased probability of LBP compared with being engaged only in recreational PA (light walking or moderate/vigorous, ORs 3.48–4.22). Using the whole sample, we found weaker associations but in the same direction.

Conclusions

We found evidence that heavy domestic PA is associated with an increased probability of LBP, and the combination of heavy domestic and recreational PA might increase the probability of LBP more so than heavy domestic or recreational PA alone. Associations being greater when using the co-twin case–control analysis indicate that genetic and environmental factors influence the relationship between PA and LBP, and demonstrate the value of a twin design.

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Acknowledgments

MH is supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). CM is supported by a research fellowship from the Australian Research Council. JLH is a Senior Principal Research Fellow of the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Markus Hübscher, Daniela R. G. Junqueira, Kathryn M. Refshauge & Paulo H. Ferreira

  2. Neuroscience Research Australia and The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

    Markus Hübscher

  3. The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Manuela L. Ferreira & Chris G. Maher

  4. Centro de Estudos Do Medicamento (Cemed), Departamento de Farmácia Social, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

    Daniela R. G. Junqueira

  5. Centre for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic, and Analytic Epidemiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    John L. Hopper

  6. 75 East St, Lidcombe, NSW, 2141, Australia

    Markus Hübscher

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  1. Markus Hübscher
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  2. Manuela L. Ferreira
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  3. Daniela R. G. Junqueira
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  4. Kathryn M. Refshauge
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  5. Chris G. Maher
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  6. John L. Hopper
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  7. Paulo H. Ferreira
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Correspondence to Markus Hübscher.

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Hübscher, M., Ferreira, M.L., Junqueira, D.R.G. et al. Heavy domestic, but not recreational, physical activity is associated with low back pain: Australian Twin low BACK pain (AUTBACK) study. Eur Spine J 23, 2083–2089 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-014-3258-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-014-3258-2

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