Occupational and nonoccupational risk indicators for incident and chronic low back pain in a sample of the Swedish general population during a 4-yearperiod: An influence of depression?

The objectives of this study were to examine the relation between occupatio nal and nonoccupational conditions and both incident (IBLP) and chronic low back pain (CLBP), as well as depression, among women and men. I)ata from a 4-year follow-up of a study group consisting of 420 participants of both g enders from the general Swedish population were analysed. Occupational risk indicators were predictors for both ILBP and CLBP. Depression was not foun d to be a predictor for either IBLP or CLBP among women, but was a predicto r for CLBP among men. Among women, depression had some risk indicators in c ommon with ILBP and appeared to be a concurrent outcome rather than a risk indicator. Low back pain in 1993 was not a predictor for depression in 1997 in either women or men. Occupational conditions are of relevance in relati on to both incident and CLBP. Nonoccupational conditions were stronger pred ictors for CLBP than for ILBP but had some predictive value also for ILBP.