Cohort profile: the AUstralian Twin BACK pain and physical activity study (AUTBACK study).

PURPOSE

Despite the growing evidence that physical activity and familial factors play a role in low back pain (LBP), there is a lack of robust longitudinal studies that (1) investigate the types and dosages of physical activity that are protective or harmful for LBP, (2) employ objective measures of physical activity and (3) conduct appropriate adjustment for confounders. The AUstralian Twin BACK (AUTBACK) study was established to elucidate the longitudinal LBP-physical activity relationship with the benefits of controlling for familial (both genetic/nongenetic) factors that may influence physical activity engagement and LBP.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants are twins registered at Twins Research Australia (TRA), older than 18 years, with access to internet. We collected data on LBP status (weekly) and physical activity levels (monthly) for 12 months as well as a wide range of health, lifestyle and physical activity (objective, self-reported, including different types and dosages) data.

FINDINGS TO DATE

We included 401 twins, 157 being complete twin pairs (n=314). Lifetime prevalence of LBP was 85%. Participants spent 61% of their week in sedentary time and only 4% in moderate/vigorous intensity physical activity (accelerometer). So far, 168 participants (40% of the sample) have completed the 12-month follow-up. A total of 7150 weekly (LBP status) and 1763 monthly questionnaires (physical activity status) have been answered (92% response rate).

FUTURE PLANS

The 12-month follow-up will be completed by June 2020. This cohort represents a novel and comprehensive resource for researchers in the field, and includes high-quality, and frequent data on LBP and physical activity. It allows the investigation of genetic and shared environmental factors on the LBP-physical activity relationship. The AUTBACK group has planned a number of projects, with the main one being the investigation of the influence of physical activity on recurrence of LBP. Data linkage opportunities are available, including with other studies conducted by TRA.