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Vertical anthropometric measures and low back pain in adolescents
S Steele1, K Grimmer, M Williams
1Centre for Allied Health Research, University of South Australia, City East Campus, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia. samsteele42@hotmail.com
Background And Purpose:
The present paper explores aspects of a large dataset of adolescent potentiates of low back pain. Standing, trunk and shoulder height, subischial height, weight and mean leg length are examined in relation to reports of low back pain in the last two weeks, in strata of age and gender.
Method:
The present study examined 1254 adolescents, aged 11-18 years, drawn from 12 Adelaide public high schools during 1998.
Results:
At each year of age, girls reported significantly more low back pain than boys. Girls and boys at each year of age provided different relationships between low back pain and anthropometric features, highlighting the unique nature of adolescent growth. The most consistent findings were anthropometric differences between 16-year-old boys, and 13- and 15-year-old girls, with and without low back pain, who may be at critical stages of the peak growth curve.
Conclusion:
We suggest a high prevalence of low back pain in adolescents, and that young sufferers with low back pain may be reflecting attributes of their stage of anthropometric growth.