Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39928135›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 Society2025

Trends in chronic neck and low back pain prevalence in Spain (2006-2020): differences by sex, age, and social class.

Miguel Á Huerta, Alejandro Salazar, Jose A Moral-Munoz

Abstract readObservational Study
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, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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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

3 authors.

Miguel Á HuertaDepartment of Pharmacology and Neurosciences Institute (Biomedical Research Center), University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Alejandro SalazarDepartment of Statistics and Operational Research, University of Cádiz, Cadiz, Spain. alejandro.salazar@uca.es.
Jose A Moral-MunozBiomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cadiz (INiBICA), Cadiz, Spain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo analyze the evolution of chronic neck and low back pain prevalence in the general Spanish population (≥ 15 years) from 2006 to 2020, examining differences by sex, age, social class, and the potential influence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

methodsA repeated cross-sectional observational study was conducted based on data from six health surveys conducted in Spain between 2006 and 2020, with samples ranging from 21,007 to 29,478 subjects per survey, reported by the European Statistical System and the National Statistical Institute. Overall and specific prevalence rates were calculated, and linear trends were assessed over time. The potential influence of the COVID-19 pandemic was evaluated using the Mann-Kendall test, along with prevalence forecasts up to 2020, derived from S-curve models.

resultsBetween 2006 and 2020, the prevalence of chronic neck pain ranged from 23.64 to 12.3%, while chronic low back pain ranged from 24.01 to 14.73%. A decreasing trend was observed in both conditions, slightly more pronounced for neck pain. This trend persisted even when excluding 2020 data, which was potentially influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, and was independent of health surveys. Forecasts indicated that the actual 2020 prevalence rates were lower (by 3.1-4.4%) than predicted. The prevalence was consistently higher among women, older individuals, and lower social classes, though all subgroups showed similar decreasing trends.

conclusionThe prevalence of chronic neck and low back pain in the Spanish population declined between 2006 and 2020. Subgroup analyses revealed consistent decreases across sex, age, and social class. The COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted the 2020 prevalence rates.

Indexed as

Chronic PainCOVID-19Low Back PainNeck PainSocial ClassAdolescentAdultAgedAge FactorsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHealth SurveysHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceChronic diseaseCOVID-19EpidemiologyLow back painNeck painSocial determinants

Identifiers

PMID39928135

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.