Financial privilege may not protect you against lower back pain and arthritis

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-04-27 04:00

Australia; International; NSW

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People living in wealthier neighbourhoods may be no less likely to develop lower back pain or arthritis, according to Australian and international researchers. The team looked at the prevalence of lower back pain and arthritis among identical twins from a US registry. They compared this with the socio-economic status of the neighbourhoods the participants were living in, as well as their educational status and income, using identical twins to help control for some of the genetic and environmental factors that can influence lower back pain and arthritis. The researchers say they found no association between higher socio-economic privilege and lower back pain or arthritis, a finding they say can help researchers figure out what does and doesn't contribute.