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Cross-sectional and longitudinal association between informal caregiving and low back pain in the general population in the United Kingdom

Published on 23 September 2025

Title: Cross-sectional and longitudinal association between informal caregiving and low back pain in the general population in the United Kingdom

Research structure: Centre de Recherche en Épidémiologie et Statistiques (CRESS), UMR 1153, Inserm – Université Paris Cité

Team: Équipe EpiAgeing (Epidemiology of Ageing & Neurodegenerative diseases)

Location: Université Paris Cité, Inserm, UMR 1153, 10, avenue de Verdun, 75010 Paris

Team manager: Pre Archana SINGH-MANOUX / Dre Séverine SABIA

Supervisors : Dr Louis JACOB

Topic:

Low back pain is one of the leading conditions of functional limitations in activities of daily living in the world. The prevalence of low back pain was 619 million people in 2020, and this prevalence is estimated to increase to 843 million in 2050 [1]. Around 30% of acute low back pain will evolve to chronic low back pain [2]. Low back pain is associated with disability [3], altered mental health [4], and decreased quality of life [5]. Besides, the direct and indirect costs related to low back pain are high [6]. In this context, it is necessary to better characterize risk factors for low back pain.

There are multiple risk factors for low back pain. These risk factors are socioeconomic, biomechanical, and psychological, and are also related to health behaviors. Major risk factors are lifting at work, obesity, depression, and smoking [7,8]. Preliminary data suggest that informal caregiving may increase the odds of low back pain [9–12]. Informal caregiving is defined as unpaid and unprofessional care provided to people with chronic conditions or disability, care being frequently provided by family or friends [13]. Nonetheless, these previous studies were cross-sectional, and the direction of the association could not be analyzed. Moreover, these bodies of research frequently focused on carers for patients with stroke, and their findings may not be generalizable to other populations of informal carers. Finally, low back pain was self-reported, with the risk of memory bias. Taking these facts together, further data on this topic is necessary.

Therefore, this study aimed to assess the cross-sectional and longitudinal association between informal caregiving and low back pain in the general population in the United Kingdom. Data from the Whitehall II cohort will be used. Informal caregiving and related types of care will be self-reported. Low back pain will be self-reported and assessed using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10).

To meet these objectives, methods specific to the analysis of survival data will be used. Thanks to a detailed collection of socio-demographic, lifestyle, and health measures, it will be possible to control the analyses for numerous confounding factors. A very good knowledge of programming (R software) is essential to carry out the analyses successfully.

Please apply by sending to Dr. Louis Jacob (louis.jacob@aphp.fr) a motivation letter, a detailed curriculum vitae (including specific modules in epidemiology and statistics), and recent marks in your Master’s degree.

 

Références :

 

  1. GBD 2021 Low Back Pain Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of low back pain, 1990-2020, its attributable risk factors, and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet Rheumatol. 2023;5: e316–e329. doi:10.1016/S2665-9913(23)00098-X
  2. Stevans JM, Delitto A, Khoja SS, Patterson CG, Smith CN, Schneider MJ, et al. Risk Factors Associated With Transition From Acute to Chronic Low Back Pain in US Patients Seeking Primary Care. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4: e2037371. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.37371
  3. Jegan NRA, Brugger M, Viniol A, Strauch K, Barth J, Baum E, et al. Psychological risk and protective factors for disability in chronic low back pain – a longitudinal analysis in primary care. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2017;18: 114. doi:10.1186/s12891-017-1482-8
  4. Reme SE, Tangen T, Moe T, Eriksen HR. Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in sick listed chronic low back pain patients. Eur J Pain Lond Engl. 2011;15: 1075–1080. doi:10.1016/j.ejpain.2011.04.012
  5. Pericot-Mozo X, Suñer-Soler R, Reig-Garcia G, Patiño-Masó J, Sitjar-Suñer M, Masià-Plana A, et al. Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain and Differences by Sex: A Longitudinal Study. J Pers Med. 2024;14: 496. doi:10.3390/jpm14050496
  6. Montgomery W, Sato M, Nagasaka Y, Vietri J. The economic and humanistic costs of chronic lower back pain in Japan. Clin Outcomes Res CEOR. 2017;9: 361–371. doi:10.2147/CEOR.S134130
  7. Frymoyer JW, Pope MH, Costanza MC, Rosen JC, Goggin JE, Wilder DG. Epidemiologic studies of low-back pain. Spine. 1980;5: 419–423. doi:10.1097/00007632-198009000-00005
  8. Maher C, Underwood M, Buchbinder R. Non-specific low back pain. Lancet Lond Engl. 2017;389: 736–747. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30970-9
  9. Tong HC, Haig AJ, Nelson VS, Yamakawa KS-J, Kandala G, Shin KY. Low back pain in adult female caregivers of children with physical disabilities. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2003;157: 1128–1133. doi:10.1001/archpedi.157.11.1128
  10. Suzuki K, Tamakoshi K, Sakakibara H. Caregiving activities closely associated with the development of low-back pain among female family caregivers. J Clin Nurs. 2016;25: 2156–2167. doi:10.1111/jocn.13167
  11. Abdullahi A, Aliyu K, Hassan AB, Sokunbi GO, Bello B, Saeys W, et al. Prevalence of chronic non-specific low back pain among caregivers of stroke survivors in Kano, Nigeria and factors associated with it: A cross-sectional study. Front Neurol. 2022;13: 900308. doi:10.3389/fneur.2022.900308
  12. Abdullahi A, Wong TW, Ng SS. Prevalence and risks factors of caregiving-related low back pain among caregivers of stroke survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2023;59: 682–688. doi:10.23736/S1973-9087.23.07970-4
  13. Zhang Y, Bennett MR. Insights Into Informal Caregivers’ Well-being: A Longitudinal Analysis of Care Intensity, Care Location, and Care Relationship. J Gerontol. 2024;79: 1–12. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbad166

 

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