No association between previous Caesarean-section delivery and back pain in mid-aged Australian women: an observational study

Question: Is there an association between Caesarean section and back pain over the longer term? Design: Secondary analysis of data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Participants: The mid-aged cohort of women within the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health aged 54 to 59 years (n = 9146). Outcome measures: Data were included from women who answered the question regarding back pain. Data were extracted on whether they had given birth and, if so, whether it was by Caesarean section. Then, data on confounding variables (such as arthritis, asthma, osteoporosis, hysterectomy, ovaries removed, and repair of prolapsed vagina, bladder or bowel, menopause, smoking) were also extracted. Results: After adjusting for confounding factors, women who delivered by Caesarean section had the same odds (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.31) of having back pain as women who had not had a birth. Conclusion: Previous delivery by Caesarean section is not associated with increased back pain in mid-aged Australian women. [Drew MK, Sibbritt D, Chiarelli P (2008) No association between previous Caesarean-section delivery and back pain in mid-aged Australian women: an observational study. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy 54: 269–272]