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Are tall people at higher risk of low back pain surgery? A discussion on the results of a multipurpose cohort
Author(s) -
CoeuretPellicer Mireille,
Descatha Alexis,
Leclerc Annette,
Zins Marie
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
arthritis care and research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.032
H-Index - 163
eISSN - 2151-4658
pISSN - 2151-464X
DOI - 10.1002/acr.20023
Subject(s) - medicine , low back pain , quartile , cohort , confidence interval , physical therapy , body mass index , odds ratio , risk factor , cohort study , marital status , socioeconomic status , population , surgery , alternative medicine , environmental health , pathology
Objective To investigate whether height is associated with low back pain (LBP) and surgery, taking into account personal and socioeconomic risk factors in a general population. Methods In 2001, 13,680 participants of the Gazel cohort completed a self‐reported questionnaire on LBP and surgery interventions. Three groups were compared according to their body height: no LBP (reference group, participants who declared they never had LBP), LBP without surgery (participants who ever had LBP but without surgery), and back surgery (participants who ever had surgery for LBP). Adjusted variables were sex, age, educational level, marital status, height, and body mass index. Results Mean height was significantly higher in men in the back surgery group than in the reference group and the LBP group. The proportion of surgically‐treated LBP was higher for people whose height was ≥4th quartile ( P < 0.0001). Being in the highest quartile for height was a stronger risk factor for surgery (adjusted odds ratio [OR adj ] = 2.01, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.61–2.51) than for LBP without surgery (OR adj = 1.29, 95% CI 1.18–1.40). Conclusion The results suggest that being tall is a predictor for back surgery.