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Smoking Linked with Low Back Pain in Teens
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Posted on: 11/30/1999
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It's clear that smoking is bad for your health. And studies have shown a direct link between tobacco use and low back pain in adults. In this study, researchers explore the possibility of an increased rate of low back pain (LBP) in teens who smoke.
An earlier study in Canada reported smoking increased the risk for LBP in adolescents. A closer look at how much smoking is linked with back pain is needed. Children in the northern Finland Birth Cohort born between 1985 and 1986 were followed to age 18 and included in this study.
At age 16, each child was asked questions about weight, height, smoking habits, LBP, physical activity, workload, and personality. Information was collected until the children turned 18 years of age. The group included occasional smokers, regular smokers, and exsmokers.
The number of pack-years was calculated. One pack-year is equal to 15 cigarettes (one pack) smoked every day for one year. A 1.5 pack year history of smoking means the child smoked one-and-a-half packs of cigarettes every day each year.
The results of this study may be slightly biased. Surveys were more likely to be filled out and returned by girls who didn't smoke and who were living in a two-parent family. Boys and girls who didn't smoke returned the survey more often than those who smoked. The nonsmokers reported better overall health status. The authors suggest their results may underestimate the true association between smoking and LBP.
Regular (daily) smoking of more than nine cigarettes at age 16 was predictive of LBP in girls. Girls who had a history of 1.5 pack-years were even more likely to report LBP. This exposure relationship was not present among the boys.
It's not clear why there was a difference between boys and girls. It could be that boys underreport their smoking habits. Or girls may be more likely to smoke when upset or distressed. There aren't enough studies of smoking in children to know for sure yet. And the studies already published don't always separate out findings for boys versus girls.
The authors suggest future studies to look at the effect of quitting smoking on LBP. Animal studies are currently underway to understand how nicotine and tobacco affect low back structures resulting in painful symptoms.
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References:
Paula Mikkonen, MD, et al. Is Smoking a Risk Factor for Low Back Pain in Adolescents? In Spine. March 1, 2008. Vol. 33. No. 5. Pp. 527-532.
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