The Association between Low Back Pain and Mental Health in Korean Adults Over the Age of 50: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Lower back pain (LBP) is the most common musculoskeletal disease in adults over the age of 50. LBP is associated with physical activity and mental health such as depression or suicidal thoughts. We aimed to analyze the association between LBP and mental health and that between physical activity and depressive mood in LBP patients among Korean adults over the age of 50.METHODS: We included 2,681 adults in the analysis, who participated in the 2013 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and used a t-test, logistic regression analysis, and chi-squared test via complex sampling. We analyzed the association between LBP and mental health, various kinds of physical activity, and depressive mood after adjusting for confounding factors.RESULTS: Poor mental health (perception of stress, diagnosis of depression, depressive mood, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts) were significantly associated with LBP. The LBP group was 2.077 times more likely to be diagnosed with depression and was 4.666 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than the control group. Exercise, such as walking, was associated with a reduced risk of depressive mood in subjects with LBP.CONCLUSION: LBP patients were at high risk of being diagnosed with depression, experiencing suicidal thoughts and depressive mood, and attempting suicide. In LBP patients, walking was associated with a reduced depressive mood.