Impact of anthropometric indices on the incidence of low back pain

The present study deals with the estimation of nutritional status by four anthropometric indices, viz. Quetelet's index (QI), Oliver's typologic index (OTI), Lorenz's constitutional index (LCI) and muscle index (MI). Subjects were selected from 106 confirmed cases of patients with low back pain (69 females, 37 males, aged 21-76 years) who came to the OPD of Aulakh Bone and Joint Centre, Tarn Taran, Punjab, India. An adequate number of controls (n = 50, 36 female and 14 male) with no prior history of back pain were also included from the same clinic for comparison. A total of fifteen anthropometric characteristics were measured for all subjects to estimate the four anthropometric indices. In findings, gender distribution of chi-square values of four anthropometric indices showed MI and LCI were significantly associated with LBP patients in both sexes QI was found to be statistically significant in female patients only. With age-related chisquare values, MI was significantly associated with female patients of all four age groups but, with male patients, only the younger age group, i.e. 21-30 years. LCI, OTI and QI were significantly associated only with male patients aged 41-50 years, 51+ years, and 21-30 years respectively. Occupation-wise distribution of chi-square values revealed that female patients with working women and housewives were significantly associated with MI but only housewives were significantly associated with LCI. In male patients, MI was significantly associated with the group of others (comprisedof politicians, carpenters, retired employees and labourers), OTI with agricultural workers, and QI with agriculture, businessmen and the group of others. It could be concluded from the present study that, MI and LCI could also be successfully used as the risk indicators of LBP.

Key-words:

Quetelet's Index - Oliver's Typologic Index - Lorenz's Constitutional Index - Muscle Index - patients with low back pain.

Publication History

Received: 06 May 2011

Accepted: 04 June 2012

Article published online:
17 June 2022