Association between Fat Distribution and Chronic Low Back Pain among 10,606 Adults: Data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Minji Oh, Jongyeon Kim, Suji Lee, Seunghoon Lee and Jae-Dong Lee
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Minji Oh: Department of Clinical Korean Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
Jongyeon Kim: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Korea
Suji Lee: Department of Clinical Korean Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
Seunghoon Lee: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Korea
Jae-Dong Lee: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Korea

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-11

Abstract: Obesity is associated with chronic low back pain (CLBP), but the association between fat distribution and CLBP is unclear. This cross-sectional study evaluated the relationship using the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. A total of 10,606 adults (average age: 45.4, female: 57.1%) were included. We estimated the regional fat distribution, waist circumference, and body fat proportion, compared the values in people with and without CLBP, and stratified the estimates by sex and obesity status using a multivariable linear model. There were no statistically significant differences in the average waist circumference between the people with and without CLBP ( p = 0.731) and the average fat proportion between those with and without CLBP ( p = 0.731). The average regional fat distribution was significantly higher in the people with CLBP than in those without CLBP, in the upper limbs (11.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [11.3, 11.5] vs. 11.2%, 95% CI: [11.1, 11.3], p < 0.05) and in the lower limbs (31.9%, 95% CI: [31.6, 32.2] vs. 31.4%, 95% CI: [31.2, 31.6], p < 0.01). More obvious among men, fat distribution in the lower limbs is higher than in people without obesity ( p < 0.001). People with CLBP tend to have a higher fat distribution in the limbs than those without it and obese people with CLBP would need to reduce the fat in the lower limbs.

Keywords: fat mass; fat distribution; obesity; chronic low back pain; KNHANES (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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