Modifiable health-risk patterns among patients with back pain: a latent class analysis
Mikhail Saltychev1, Konsta Koivunen2, Juhani Juhola3
1Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, PO Box 52, Turku, FI-20521, Finland. mikhail.saltychev@gmail.com.
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
|July 20, 2026
Summary
This study identified two distinct patient groups with back pain based on modifiable health risks, primarily differing in physical inactivity levels. These findings highlight patterns in risk factors for back pain patients in specialized clinics.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Health Behavior Research
- Pain Management
Background:
- Limited understanding of how modifiable health risks cluster in back pain patients.
- Need to identify distinct patient profiles based on health behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify latent classes defined by modifiable risk factors in back pain patients.
- To describe the clinical and demographic characteristics of these identified classes.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional observational survey of 1,379 back pain patients.
- Latent class analysis (LCA) using smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and physical inactivity.
- Demographic data, pain severity, and disability used for class description.
Main Results:
- Two distinct classes were identified, primarily differentiated by physical inactivity.
- Class 2 showed a higher probability of physical inactivity (0.90) compared to Class 1 (0.38).
- Obesity was more prevalent in Class 2, which was also associated with lower education and severe pain.
Conclusions:
- LCA revealed two modifiable-risk pattern classes in a specialized back pain clinic sample, mainly differing in physical inactivity.
- Findings are exploratory and suggest further research in primary care settings.
- The study does not establish causality between physical inactivity and worse back pain outcomes.