Physical activity (PA) may provide a model to mitigate the effect of Low back pain (LBP). However, the association between heterogeneous trajectories of PA and LBP remains poorly understood. This study aimed to identify the PA trajectories over a 12-year period in general and sex-specific populations, and to assess the associations of PA trajectories with LBP and LBP intensity in both sexes. Data were drawn from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA, 2006-2018), and 3013 community-dwelling adults aged 50 years and older were included. We used Group-based trajectory modeling to identify trajectories of PA. Generalized estimating equation models were fitted to explore the effects of PA trajectories on LBP. This study identified five trajectories of PA during the follow-up period among general and sex-specific populations. Compared participants with the persistent inactivity, male participants with the PA trajectories of persistent intermediate (Odds Ratio 0.73 [95% CI 0.58-0.91]) and progressive incline (0.63 [0.43-0.92]) had a significantly decreased risk of LBP. Among females, only the progressive incline trajectory (0.66 [0.49-0.90]) was significantly associated with risk of LBP. All PA trajectories were statistically significantly associated with LBP intensity in both the general population and male participants. The association between progressive decline trajectory and LBP intensity was not found among female participants. For middle-aged and older adults, irrespective of past PA level, considerable benefits can be gained by enhancing physical activity. Promoting PA should be a key focus of healthy aging polices to prevent and reduce the risk of LBP.

Authors:
Shimin Zhang, Shandong University, China
Chengchao Zhou, Shandong University, China

About the Presenter(s)
Zhang Shimin is currently a PhD candidate in Epidemiology and Health Statistics at the School of Public Health, Shandong University. Her main research interests are in geriatric health.

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