Co-occurrence of unhealthy behaviours and psychosocial problems among adolescents, with special reference to low back and multisite musculoskeletal pains during adolescence and labour market exclusion in early adulthood

• Main Author: Heikkala, E. (Eveliina)
• Other Authors: Karppinen, J. (Jaro), Taimela, S. (Simo), Paananen, M. (Markus)
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Oulun yliopisto 2020
• Subjects: adolescent; co-occurrence; follow-up; health behaviour; labour market; low back pain; multisite pain; psychosocial problem; alaselkäkipu; elintavat; monipaikkainen kipu; nuoret; psykososiaalinen ongelma; seuranta; työelämä; yhteisesiintyvyys; Northern Finland
• Online Access: http://urn.fi/urn:isbn:9789526225760

Abstract Unhealthy behaviours and psychosocial problems often coincide during adolescence. Previous literature has connected these factors separately to musculoskeletal (MS) pains and difficulties in labour market inclusion. However, little is known about the influence of co-occurring health-related behaviour patterns on MS pains and labour market exclusion. This Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 study evaluated the co-occurrence of unhealthy behaviours and psychosocial problems among 15–16-year-old adolescents, and estimated the determinant value of co-occurring health-related behaviours in explaining low back pain (LBP) and recurrent multisite musculoskeletal pain (MMSP) between the ages 15 and 19. It also determined exclusion from the labour market during a five-year follow-up period between the ages of 25 and 29, and studied the stability of the unhealthy behaviours between the ages of 15 and 19 and the possible influence of MMSP on the relationships between co-occurring health-related patterns and difficulties in labour market inclusion. Information on health-related behaviours and MS pains were gathered via two questionnaires. The labour market data, including data on unemployment, employment and permanent work disability, were based on national registers. Latent class analysis (LCA) was utilized to study the accumulation of the health-related behaviours. Psychosocial problems and unhealthy behaviours divided adolescents into four subgroups (clusters), in which unhealthy behaviours persisted between the ages of 15 and 19. Belonging to the Psychosocial cluster, in which the prevalence of smoking and physical activity were at a moderate/high level, was associated with LBP and recurrent MMSP among both genders, whereas belonging to the Psychosocial cluster and having several unhealthy behaviours (=Multiple risk behaviours cluster) was associated with LBP and recurrent MMSP among women. Belonging to the Obese cluster was also associated with LBP among women, whereas belonging to the Sedentary cluster, ...