Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30523461›Full record

Observational studyEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2019

Contributions of birthweight, annualised weight gain and BMI to back pain in adults: a population-based co-twin control study of 2754 Australian twins.

Hercules R Leite, Amabile B Dario, Alison R Harmer, Vinicius C Oliveira, Manuela L Ferreira, Lucas Calais-Ferreira, Paulo H Ferreira

Open access · bronzeAbstract readObservational StudyTwin StudyVideo-Audio Media
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 27% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Thoracolumbar fascia ultrasound and elastography biomarkers in low back pain: a systematic review of associations and responsiveness to intervention.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Hercules R LeitePrograma de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Brazil. hercules.leite@ufvjm.edu.br.
Amabile B DarioMusculoskeletal Health Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, Sydney, 1825, Australia.
Alison R HarmerMusculoskeletal Health Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, Sydney, 1825, Australia.
Vinicius C OliveiraPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Brazil.
Manuela L FerreiraInstitute of Bone and Joint Research, The Kolling Institute, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Lucas Calais-FerreiraTwins Research Australia, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Paulo H FerreiraMusculoskeletal Health Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, Sydney, 1825, Australia.
University of Sydney · AUUniversidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri · BRInstitute for Musculoskeletal Health · AUUniversity of Melbourne · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo investigate associations between anthropometric measures (birthweight, weight gain and current BMI) and back pain; and to determine whether these associations differ between those born with low or full birthweight.

methodsThe cross-sectional associations between the lifetime prevalence of back pain and anthropometric measures (birthweight, weight gain and current BMI) among 2754 adult twins were investigated in three stages: total sample; within-pair case-control for monozygotic and dizygotic twins together; and within-pair case-control analysis separated by dizygotic and monozygotic. Results were expressed as odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

resultsBirthweight was not associated with back pain (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.99-1.00), but a weak association was found between weight gain (OR 1.01; CI 1.00-1.01) or current BMI (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00-1.05) and back pain in the total sample analysis. These associations did not remain significant after adjusting for genetics. The associations did not differ between those whose were born with low or full birthweight.

conclusionBirthweight was not associated with prevalence of back pain in adulthood. Weight gain and current BMI were weakly associated with back pain prevalence in the total sample analysis but did not differ between those born with low or full birthweight. However, the small-magnitude association only just achieved significance and appeared to be confounded by genetics and the early shared environment. Our results suggest that a direct link between these predictors and back pain in adults is unlikely. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Indexed as

Body Mass IndexAdultAnthropometryAustraliaBack PainBirth WeightCase-Control StudiesCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansLife StyleMaleMiddle AgedOdds RatioPrevalenceTwins, DizygoticBack painBirthweightBMIGeneticsTwins

Identifiers

PMID30523461
OpenAlexW2905178340

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.