Table 1.

Baseline characteristics and their associations with incident sciatica. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) adjusted for age and sex.

Characteristic	Sample	Event	HR, 95% CI	P value
Age
30–39	1649	75	1.00
40–49	1279	36	0.65 (0.43–0.96)	<0.001
50–59	963	9	0.23 (0.12–0.46)
Sex
Men	1900	65	1.00	0.13
Women	1991	55	0.78 (0.55–1.12)
Body height tertile
117–159 cm/146–171 cm	1312	31	1.00
160–164 cm/172–177 cm	1327	45	1.21 (0.76–1.92)	0.71
165–−180cm/178–194 cm	1252	44	1.12 (0.70–1.79)
BMI (kg/m2)
<25	2034	63	1.00
25–29.9	1400	42	1.13 (0.76–1.68)	0.43
≥30	457	15	1.47 (0.83–2.60)
Educational level
<8 years	2238	65	1.00
8–12 years	1030	40	1.09 (0.73–1.63)	0.13
>12 years	623	15	0.62 (0.35–1.09)
Self-rated health
Good	2537	88	1.00
Moderate	1162	27	0.89 (0.57–1.38)	0.78
Poor	191	5	1.25 (0.50–3.11)
Smoking
Never	2036	50	1.00
Past	799	25	1.27 (0.77–2.08)	0.06
Current	1056	45	1.67 (1.09–2.55)
Leisure-time physical activity
Little	1117	37	1.00
Irregular	2022	57	0.82 (0.54–1.23)	0.63
Regular	752	26	0.90 (0.54–1.48)
Physical strenuousness of work
Light sedentary	966	24	1.00
Other sedentary	200	12	2.72 (1.36–5.44)
Physically light	828	34	1.78 (1.06–3.02)
Fairly light/medium-heavy	969	31	1.46 (0.86–2.50)
Heavy	708	16	0.92 (0.49–1.75)	0.01
Very heavy	220	3	0.57 (0.17–1.90)
Lifting
No	2316	62	1.00	0.04
Yes	1575	58	1.47 (1.02–2.10)
Awkward trunk postures
No	2385	81	1.00	0.30
Yes	1506	39	0.82 (0.56–1.20)
Prolonged standing
No	2252	69	1.00
Yes	1639	51	1.01 (0.70–1.45)	0.97
Prolonged sitting
No	2597	73	1.00
Yes	1294	47	1.17 (0.81–1.69)	0.40
Vibration exposure
No	3296	93	1.00	0.04
Yes	595	27	1.66 (1.03–2.67)
Constant movements
No	3094	97	1.00	0.78
Yes	797	23	0.94 (0.59–1.48)
Paced work
No	3609	112	1.00
Yes	282	8	0.89 (0.44–1.83)	0.75

Mini-Finland Health Survey 1978–1980. Follow-up via Care Register for Health Care until 2011.