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bioRxiv · 10.1101/274605

Back pain, mental health and substance use are associated in adolescents

Kamper, S. J.·Michaleff, Z. A.·Campbell, P.·Dunn, K. M.·Yamato, T. P.·Hodder, R. K.·Wiggers, J. H.·Williams, C. M.
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Abstract

BackgroundDuring adolescence, prevalence of pain and health risk factors such as smoking, alcohol use, and poor mental health rise sharply. While these risk factors and mental health are accepted public health concerns, the same is not true for pain. The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between back pain and health risk factors in adolescents.\n\nMethodsCross-sectional data from the Healthy Schools Healthy Futures study, and the Australian Child Wellbeing Project was used. The mean age of participants was 14-15 years. Children were stratified according to the frequency they experienced back pain over the past 6 months. Within each strata, the proportion of children that reported drinking alcohol or smoking in the past month and the proportion that experienced feelings of anxiety or depression was reported. Test-for-trend analyses assessed whether increasing frequency of pain was associated with health risk factors.\n\nResultsData from approximately 2,500 and 3,900 children in the two studies was analysed. Larger proportions of children smoked or drank alcohol within each strata of increasing pain frequency. The trend with report of anxiety and depression was less clear, although there was a marked difference between the children that reported pain rarely or never, and those that experienced back pain more frequently.\n\nConclusionTwo large, independent samples show Australian adolescents that experience back pain more frequently are also more likely to smoke, drink alcohol and report feelings of anxiety and depression. Pain appears to be part of the picture of general health risk in adolescents.\n\nWhat is already known on this subject?The prevalence of back pain rises steeply during the adolescent years, and is responsible for considerable personal impact in a substantial minority. During this time, indicators of adverse health risk such as smoking, alcohol use, anxiety and depression also increase in prevalence. Pain and lifestyle-related health risk factors can have ongoing consequences that stretch into adulthood.\n\nWhat this study adds?This study shows a close relationship between increasing pain frequency, and tendency to engage in health risk behaviours and experience indicators of poor mental health in adolescents. This study shows that pain may be an important consideration in understanding the general health, and health risk in adolescents.

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Kamper, S. J., Michaleff, Z. A., Campbell, P., Dunn, K. M., Yamato, T. P., Hodder, R. K., Wiggers, J. H., Williams, C. M.. 2018-03-02. Back pain, mental health and substance use are associated in adolescents. https://doi.org/10.1101/274605

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