Does sedentary behaviour contribute to the development of a new episode of low back pain? A systematic review of prospective cohort studies

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether the sedentary behaviour contributes to the development of new episodes of low back pain in adults.

Methods: Searches were performed in five electronic databases from their inception to March 2022. Prospective cohort studies with people without low back pain at baseline investigating the effect of sedentary behaviour on the development of new episodes of low back pain at follow-up were considered eligible. Two independent authors screened, extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. An adapted version of the Quality In Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool was used to assess the risk of bias. Meta-analyses were performed using random effect models to obtain a pooled risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to assess the overall certainty of the evidence.

Results: Ten studies were included in this review, with a total sample ranging from 107 to 57,504 participants and mean age ranging from 21.7 to 53.6 years. Most studies (n = 9) assessed sedentary behaviour using self-reported methods, including validated questionnaires or single questions, except for one study that used video recording. The overall risk of bias of the included studies was low. Pooled analysis showed that people classified as sedentary or spending more time in sedentary activities were not likely to develop a new episode of low back pain (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.98-1.04, I² = 9%, n = 9 studies, moderate evidence).

Conclusion: Sedentary behaviour probably does not contribute to the development of new episodes of low back pain in an adult population.

Significance: Sedentary behaviour does not appear to increase the chances of developing a new episode of low back pain. This might imply that health lifestyle contributors seem to be more related to the amount and type of physical activity, but not the amount of sedentary time. However, studies evaluating the relationship of the sedentary and physical activity with the development of a new episode of low back pain are still needed.