Donna Urquhart
Monash University, Australia
Title: Body composition is associated with multisite lower body musculoskeletal pain in a community-based study
Biography
Biography: Donna Urquhart
Abstract
Population-based studies suggest that pain in the lower body is common and that pain at multiple sites is more prevalent than single-site pain. Obesity is a risk factor for multisite musculoskeletal pain, but there are limited data on the role of body composition. Therefore, we sought to determine whether body composition is associated with multisite musculoskeletal pain involving the low back, knee, and foot. A total of 133 participants were recruited for a study examining the relationship between obesity and musculoskeletal disease. Participants completed validated questionnaires that examined levels of pain at the low back, knee, and foot. Body composition was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Multisite pain was common, with 26.3% of participants reporting pain at 2 sites and 31.6% at 3 sites, and only 20% were pain free. The low back was the most common site of pain (63%). Greater fat mass and fat mass index, but not fat-free mass, were associated with pain at a greater number of sites, independent of age, gender, and fat-free mass (P<0.01). Understanding the mechanism by which increased fat mass is associated with pain may provide important insights into therapeutic strategies for the prevention of pain.