SAT0527 Predictors of Back Pain in Middle Aged Women: Data from The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health

AbstractDietary factors and inflammation markers have been shown to play a role in the development of depression. However, there are very few studies that have explored the association between inflammatory potential of diet and risk of depression. In this study, we examined the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII), which was developed specifically to measure the inflammatory potential of diet, and risk of depression in the middle-aged cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. A total of 6438 women with a mean age of 52·0 (sd 1·4) years at baseline were followed-up at five surveys over 12 years (2001–2013). Depression was defined as a score of ≥10 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression-10 scale. The DII score, a literature-derived, population-based dietary index that has been validated against several inflammatory markers, was computed on the basis of dietary intake assessed using a validated FFQ. Generalised estimating equations were used to estimate relative risk (RR) of depression according to DII score. Models were adjusted for energy intake, highest education completed, marital status, menopause status and symptoms, personal illness or injury, smoking status, physical activity, BMI and depression diagnosis or treatment. In total, 1156 women (18 %) had scores≥10 on the CESD scale over the course of 9 years. Women with the most anti-inflammatory diet had an approximately 20 % lower risk of developing depression compared with women with the most pro-inflammatory diet (RRDII quartile 1 v. 4: 0·81; 95 % CI 0·69, 0·96; Ptrend=0·03). These results suggest that an anti-inflammatory diet is associated with lower risk of depression in middle-aged Australian women.

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The characteristics of women aged 59-64 years who consult health care practitioners for back pain from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH).

Integrative Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.15342/ijms.2021.324 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Pooja Maddela ◽

Jane Frawley ◽

Jon Adams ◽

David Sibbritt

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Back Pain ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Women’S Health ◽

Women's Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Care Practitioner ◽

Medical Specialist ◽

Australian Longitudinal Study ◽

Wide Range

Background: Back pain affects a substantial proportion of the adult population, and back pain sufferers tend to explore a wide range of health care options. This study investigates the use of medical and physiotherapy services by Australian women with back pain. Method: This is a sub-study of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH), designed to investigate multiple factors affecting the health and well-being of women over a 20-year period. The study focuses on 1,851 women aged 59-64 years, who had indicated that they had previously sought help from a health care practitioner for back pain. Results: Half of the women (56.5%) with back pain had consulted a general practitioner (GP), 16.2% had consulted a medical specialist, and 37.3% had consulted a physiotherapist for their back pain. Women with regular or continuous back pain were more likely to consult a GP (OR=3.98), medical specialist (OR=5.66) and a physiotherapist (OR=1.63). Conclusion: Australian women with back pain were more likely to consult a GP, medical specialist or physiotherapist if they had more regular/continuous back pain. Future research needs to investigate further the consultation and referral patterns identified in this study.

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Rates, costs and determinants of lumbar spine imaging in population-based women born in 1973–1978: Data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0243282 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (12) ◽

pp. e0243282

Author(s):

Yuanyuan Wang ◽

Sultana Monira Hussain ◽

Anita E. Wluka ◽

Yuan Z. Lim ◽

Donna M. Urquhart ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Back Pain ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Lumbar Spine ◽

Physical Health ◽

Women’S Health ◽

Women's Health ◽

Population Based ◽

Australian Longitudinal Study ◽

Spine Imaging ◽

Medical Benefits

Objective There are concerns that lumbar spine imaging represents low value care. Our aim was to examine the use of lumbar spine imaging [radiography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)] over 20 years, and costs and person-level characteristics of imaging in a large cohort of Australian women. Methods The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) is a longitudinal population-based survey of women randomly selected from national health insurance scheme (Medicare) database. This study examined 13458 women born in 1973–1978 who consented to link their ALSWH and Medical Benefits Scheme records. Self-reported data on demographics, body mass index, depression, physical and mental health, and back pain were collected in each survey performed in 1996, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2015. Data on lumbar spine imaging from 1996 to 2015 were obtained from the Medical Benefits Scheme database. Results 38.9% of women underwent some form of lumbar spine imaging over 20 years. While radiography increased from 1996 to 2011 and decreased thereafter, CT and MRI continued to increase from 1996 to 2015. In women with self-reported back pain, depression and poorer physical health were associated with imaging, with no significant differences in types of imaging. Based on imaging rates in ALSWH, the estimated costs for Australian women aged 30–39 years were AU$51,735,649 over 2011–2015. Conclusions Lumbar spine imaging was common in population-based Australian women, with rates increasing over 20 years. Depression and poor physical health were associated with lumbar spine imaging. Raising awareness of this in clinicians is likely to result in significant cost savings if clinical guidelines are followed, with the potential of freeing resources for high value care and health outcomes.

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