Global Burden, Temporal Trends, and Risk Factors of Low Back Pain Among People Aged 15-49 Years.
- 1Department of Orthopedics, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Abstract
Background
Low back pain (LBP) remains a leading cause of disability worldwide. However, the disease burden among people aged 15-49 years has been insufficiently addressed.Objective
The present study aimed to investigate the global burden, temporal trends, and attributable risk factors of low back pain among people aged 15-49 years.Methods
Using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2021, we analyzed the incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of LBP across 204 countries and territories. Age-standardized rates (ASRs) were calculated, and temporal trends from 1990 to 2021 were examined using joinpoint regression.Results
According to GBD 2021 estimates, there are approximately 16,993,809 new cases of LBP that occurred worldwide, with South Asia bearing the highest case load. Although ASRs of incidence (AAPC: -0.16; 95% CI: -0.20, -0.12), ASRs of prevalence (AAPC: -0.17; 95% CI: -0.20, -0.14), and ASRs of DALYs (AAPC: -0.16; 95% CI: -0.18, -0.14) declined between 1990 and 2021, absolute case numbers and DALYs increased. Occupational ergonomic factors (28.4%, 95% CI: 26.3%-30.7%), tobacco smoking (11.4%, 95% CI: 7.6%-15.2%), and high body mass index (BMI) (10.9%, 95% CI: 1.1%-21.0%) were the major attributable risk factors. Women always bear a more severe disease burden than men, with the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) being 3788.64 vs. 2380.94 per 100,000; the age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) being 8822.52 vs. 5410.51 per 100,000; and the age-standardized DALY rates (ASDR) being 999.13 vs. 626.28 per 100,000 in women and men, respectively. When it comes to the socio-demographic index (SDI), ASIR and ASPR initially increased with rising SDI, reaching a peak in Australasia, with ASPR over 12,500 per 100,000 and ASIR over 5000 per 100,000, before subsequently decreasing with further SDI increments.Conclusions
Despite declining ASRs, the absolute global burden of LBP among individuals aged 15-49 continues to grow, particularly among women and in high-SDI regions. Targeted preventive strategies and control measures are urgently needed.
Related
- Global Burden, Temporal Trends, Extrapolation Based on Past Trends, and Population Attributable Fractions of Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Ecological Study Based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.
- Burden, Risk Factors, and Temporal Trends of Ovarian Cancer in Postmenopausal Women Aged 55 Years and Older: A Comparative Analysis in India, China, and the United States Based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023.
- Trends in Modifiable Risk Factors Contributing to Ischemic Heart Disease Mortality in Afghanistan: Estimates From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (1999-2023)
- The Changing Global Epidemiology of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer: Incidence Trends, Modifiable Risk Factors, and Future Burden Projections
- Temporal Trends and Demographic Contributions to Stroke Burden in India, 1990-2023: An Analysis of Global Burden of Disease 2023 Estimates Using Shapley Decomposition and Joinpoint Regression.
BibTeX
@article{lei2026global,
title = {{Global Burden, Temporal Trends, and Risk Factors of Low Back Pain Among People Aged 15-49 Years.}},
author = {Yunfei Lei and Tingting Tang and Chao Huang and Zongke Zhou},
journal = {Orthopaedic surgery},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1111/os.70453},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42963838},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Global Burden, Temporal Trends, and Risk Factors of Low Back Pain Among People Aged 15-49 Years.
AU - Yunfei Lei
AU - Tingting Tang
AU - Chao Huang
AU - Zongke Zhou
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Orthopaedic surgery
DO - 10.1111/os.70453
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42963838
AB - Background Low back pain (LBP) remains a leading cause of disability worldwide. However, the disease burden among people aged 15-49 years has been insufficiently addressed.Objective The present study aimed to investigate the global burden, temporal trends, and attributable risk factors of low back pain among people aged 15-49 years.Methods Using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2021, we analyzed the incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of LBP across 204 countries and territories. Age-standardized rates (ASRs) were calculated, and temporal trends from 1990 to 2021 were examined using joinpoint regression.Results According to GBD 2021 estimates, there are approximately 16,993,809 new cases of LBP that occurred worldwide, with South Asia bearing the highest case load. Although ASRs of incidence (AAPC: -0.16; 95% CI: -0.20, -0.12), ASRs of prevalence (AAPC: -0.17; 95% CI: -0.20, -0.14), and ASRs of DALYs (AAPC: -0.16; 95% CI: -0.18, -0.14) declined between 1990 and 2021, absolute case numbers and DALYs increased. Occupational ergonomic factors (28.4%, 95% CI: 26.3%-30.7%), tobacco smoking (11.4%, 95% CI: 7.6%-15.2%), and high body mass index (BMI) (10.9%, 95% CI: 1.1%-21.0%) were the major attributable risk factors. Women always bear a more severe disease burden than men, with the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) being 3788.64 vs. 2380.94 per 100,000; the age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) being 8822.52 vs. 5410.51 per 100,000; and the age-standardized DALY rates (ASDR) being 999.13 vs. 626.28 per 100,000 in women and men, respectively. When it comes to the socio-demographic index (SDI), ASIR and ASPR initially increased with rising SDI, reaching a peak in Australasia, with ASPR over 12,500 per 100,000 and ASIR over 5000 per 100,000, before subsequently decreasing with further SDI increments.Conclusions Despite declining ASRs, the absolute global burden of LBP among individuals aged 15-49 continues to grow, particularly among women and in high-SDI regions. Targeted preventive strategies and control measures are urgently needed.
SN - 1757-7853
SN - 1757-7861
ER -