Changes in movement behaviors and back pain during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.
Danilo R Silva, André O Werneck, Deborah C Malta and 5 others
PMID 34548211WHAT IT FOUND
During quarantine, adults who stopped exercising were nearly three times as likely to report worsening back pain compared to those who stayed active.
Consistently inactive people and those using computers or tablets heavily were also more likely to develop or experience increased back pain.
Key findings
01Participants who became inactive during the pandemic were significantly more likely to report an increase in back pain compared to those who remained consistently active.
02High computer or tablet use during the pandemic was associated with both the new onset of back pain and the worsening of existing back pain.
03Among those without prior back pain, becoming more sedentary with high TV-viewing habits was associated with the incidence of back pain.
STILL TO COME
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that inactivity caused the back pain; people with pain may have become inactive because of the pain. Data relied on self-reported memory of activity levels before and during the pandemic, which can be inaccurate. The online survey format may have excluded lower-income individuals who have less access to the internet or devices. Participants were asked if pain was 'due to changes in habitual activities', which may have influenced their answers.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these odds ratios as proof that inactivity definitely caused the back pain. The study design is cross-sectional, meaning it captures a snapshot in time; it is equally possible that people stopped exercising or using computers because their back pain worsened.