Incidence and risk factors for acute low back pain in active duty infantry

Although much research has been performed on occupational risk factors for low back pain, little has been published on low back pain among infantrymen. This purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence of acute low back pain amongst active duty infantrymen as compared to a matched control population. The Defense Medical Epidemiology Database was searched and incidence rates were calculated and compared between infantry and noninfantry soldiers. Data was stratified and controlled for age, race, marital status, rank, and branch of service using the Poisson multivariate regression analysis. Significantly lower rates of acute low back pain were discovered in active duty infantrymen when compared to matched controls (32.9 versus 49.5 cases per 1,000 person-years). Additionally, significantly lower rates were identified in the Marines versus the Army, and among junior enlisted compared to senior enlisted service members.