US adults with chronic lower back pain (cLBP) are socioeconomically disadvantaged, make frequent healthcare visits, and are often covered by government-sponsored health insurance. This according to a study of 5,103 adults, with and without cLBP, aged 20 to 69. Researchers found:

• cLBP associations with adjusted odds ratios ≥2 included: age 50 to 69, education less than high school, annual household income <$20,000, income from disability, depression, sleep disturbances, and medical comorbidities.

• Patients with cLBP were more likely to be covered by government-sponsored insurance plans, including Medicaid (aOR=3.23) and Medicare (aOR=2.25), and were more likely to have ≥10 healthcare visits in the past year (aOR=3.35).

• In the cLBP subgroup, aORs ≥2 were found for associations between ≥10 healthcare visits per year and unemployment, income from disability, depression, and sleep disturbances.

Citation: Shmagel A, Foley R, Ibrahim H. Epidemiology of chronic low back pain in US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2010. [Published online ahead of print March 18, 2016]. Arthritis Care Res. doi:10.1002/acr.22890.