Bone mineral content, gender, body posture, and build in relation to back pain in middle age

In 575 55-year-old residents of Malmö, Sweden, the authors studied the interrelationships between back pain and bone mineral content, degree of kyphosis and lordosis, height, and weight, and in women also the age of menarche and menopause, and number of childbirths. Men with back pain tended to be heavier than those without back pain. Back pain was not related to body height nor to degree of kyphosis or lordosis. In women, a positive correlation was found between the degree of kyphosis and lordosis and body weight. Body height in women also was correlated to degree of kyphosis, but not to the degree of lordosis. In men, the authors found no such relationships. Bone mineral content was not related to the occurrence of back pain but to body height and weight in men and in women. Back pain in women was not related to the age at menarche or menopause, nor to the number of children to whom they had given birth.