Table 6.
Data from the epidemiologic literature on back pain in boys and girls (age included)
| Balague et al. [ 1 ] | Brattberg et al. [ 25 ] | Taimela et al. [ 6 ] | Hakala et al. [ 18 ] | Watson et al. [ 12 ] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Switzerland | Sweden | Finland | Finland | England |
| Design | Cross Sectional | Cross sectional + follow up | Cross sectional | Cross sect. + follow up | Cross sectional |
| Study sample | Schoolchildren in primary and secondary school- one school district | Pupils from 26 urban schools | Pupils from 45 different public schools | Population register. All Finns born on adjacent dates in summer (1985–9, 1993–7) | Pupils from secondary schools; state + private, urban + rural |
| Response rate | 99% | 87% | 82% | 77% | 92% (LBP) |
| Valid sample size | 1666 | 1245/ 471 | 1171 | 62677 | 1376 (LBP) |
| Data collection | Questionnaire | Questionnaire | Questionnaire | Questionnaire | Questionnaire |
| Age group | 7-17(mean 12) | 8, 11, 13, 17 | 7, 10, 14, 16 | 12,14,16,18(12.6, 14.6, 16.6, 18.6) | 11-14 |
| Definition of back pain | LBP, BP (=all spinal pain) | Do you often have back pain? | LBP interfering with school/leisure activities + recurrent LBP past 12 months | Back or neck pain during the past half a year | LBP for one day or longer in the past month |
| Gender | Girls > Boys (+BP ++LBP) | Girls > Boys all age groups. Significant among the 13 and 17-year-old pupils | No general difference. Girls > boys in recurrent LBP reporting | Girls > boys No interaction between sex but increasing trend was seen in girls – boys U shaped curve | Girls > Boys |
| Age (prevalence increase) | >13 | Trend of more long-lasting BP in older age groups. Especially among girls | Recurrent LBP increases > 14, 16 | Prevalence increased with age | Increase with age in girls and boys |