Joint associations of baseline heavy physical work and waist-to-height ratio with hospital-recorded intervertebral disc disorders: a UK Biobank cohort study
- 1Department of Spinal Surgery, Orthopedic Medical Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University
- 2Neurosurgery Center, National Key Clinical Specialty, Engineering Research Center of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology and Devices for Cerebrovascular Diseases in Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital Institute of Neurosurgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University
- 3Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Dongguan Qiaotou Hospital
Abstract
Background: Occupational heavy physical work and central adiposity are associated with disc-related morbidity, but their joint associations and absolute risks require clarification.
Methods: We studied UK Biobank participants employed or self-employed at baseline (2006–2010), without known disc disease, using linked hospital and mortality records in England, Scotland and Wales through December 31, 2015. Of 276,917 eligible participants, 270,971 with complete adjustment data formed the primary analysis population. Exposures were baseline heavy-work frequency and measured waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Cox models evaluated continuous WHtR per 0.05 increase and four categories combining lower/higher work frequency with WHtR <0.5/≥0.5. The primary outcome was first hospital inpatient-recorded intervertebral disc disorders [International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) M51]. The M51.1 branch in the UK Biobank coding hierarchy was a secondary, nested radiculopathy subtype. Five-year risks accounted for competing mortality.
Results: Primary analyses included 2,072 disc-disorder and 951 radiculopathy-subtype events. Each 0.05 higher WHtR was associated with a disc-disorder hazard ratio (HR) of 1.13 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10–1.16); higher versus lower work frequency in the same model had HR 1.47 (1.31–1.65). Spline analyses provided no clear evidence of nonlinearity. Higher work frequency with WHtR ≥0.5, compared with lower frequency and WHtR <0.5, had HR 2.04 (1.75–2.38). Corresponding standardized five-year risks were 0.791% versus 0.389%, a difference of 4.03 (3.01–5.04) per 1,000 people. For the nested subtype, the continuous WHtR HR was 1.14 (1.09–1.19) and the joint-category HR was 2.00 (1.59–2.50), with a risk difference of 1.73 (1.07–2.40) per 1,000. There was no clear evidence of multiplicative or additive interaction.
Conclusion: Higher baseline WHtR and more frequent heavy work were associated with subsequent hospital-recorded disc disorders. Continuous exposure estimates and modest absolute differences characterize these associations in employed adults. Repeated, task-specific measurements are needed before translating them into preventive or screening strategies.
Related
- The effect of adapted physical activity programs on the regulation of emotions in people suffering from major depressive disorders after hospital discharge : REAPAD study protocol
- Investigation of Smartphone Addiction as a Potential Mediator of the Cross-Sectional Associations Between Body Image, Physical Activity, and Eating Disorders Among University Participants.
- Association of Baseline and Serial High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T with In-Hospital Mortality Across Clinical Presentation, LVEF and Diabetes Status in Decompensated Heart Failure
- Incremental Predictive Value of Post-Baseline Surgery and the Impact of Temporal Coding on Mortality Associations in Infective Endocarditis: A Temporally Validated Cohort Study
- Baseline OCT Biomarkers and Early Outcomes After Idiopathic Full-Thickness Macular Hole Surgery: Associations with Primary Failure and Visual Acuity After Successful Closure
BibTeX
@article{wang2026joint,
title = {{Joint associations of baseline heavy physical work and waist-to-height ratio with hospital-recorded intervertebral disc disorders: a UK Biobank cohort study}},
author = {Zhenhui Wang and Zhaoqing Ji and Simin Yang and Shuizhong Cen and Zhengbing Yuan},
journal = {Frontiers in Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.2002097},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.2002097/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Joint associations of baseline heavy physical work and waist-to-height ratio with hospital-recorded intervertebral disc disorders: a UK Biobank cohort study
AU - Zhenhui Wang
AU - Zhaoqing Ji
AU - Simin Yang
AU - Shuizhong Cen
AU - Zhengbing Yuan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.2002097
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.2002097/full
AB - Background: Occupational heavy physical work and central adiposity are associated with disc-related morbidity, but their joint associations and absolute risks require clarification. Methods: We studied UK Biobank participants employed or self-employed at baseline (2006–2010), without known disc disease, using linked hospital and mortality records in England, Scotland and Wales through December 31, 2015. Of 276,917 eligible participants, 270,971 with complete adjustment data formed the primary analysis population. Exposures were baseline heavy-work frequency and measured waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Cox models evaluated continuous WHtR per 0.05 increase and four categories combining lower/higher work frequency with WHtR <0.5/≥0.5. The primary outcome was first hospital inpatient-recorded intervertebral disc disorders [International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) M51]. The M51.1 branch in the UK Biobank coding hierarchy was a secondary, nested radiculopathy subtype. Five-year risks accounted for competing mortality. Results: Primary analyses included 2,072 disc-disorder and 951 radiculopathy-subtype events. Each 0.05 higher WHtR was associated with a disc-disorder hazard ratio (HR) of 1.13 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10–1.16); higher versus lower work frequency in the same model had HR 1.47 (1.31–1.65). Spline analyses provided no clear evidence of nonlinearity. Higher work frequency with WHtR ≥0.5, compared with lower frequency and WHtR <0.5, had HR 2.04 (1.75–2.38). Corresponding standardized five-year risks were 0.791% versus 0.389%, a difference of 4.03 (3.01–5.04) per 1,000 people. For the nested subtype, the continuous WHtR HR was 1.14 (1.09–1.19) and the joint-category HR was 2.00 (1.59–2.50), with a risk difference of 1.73 (1.07–2.40) per 1,000. There was no clear evidence of multiplicative or additive interaction. Conclusion: Higher baseline WHtR and more frequent heavy work were associated with subsequent hospital-recorded disc disorders. Continuous exposure estimates and modest absolute differences characterize these associations in employed adults. Repeated, task-specific measurements are needed before translating them into preventive or screening strategies.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -