Psychological distress in early childhood and the risk of adolescent spinal pain with impact

Background Spinal pain (SP), including neck and back pain, is common and often associated with poor mental health and reduced quality of life of adolescents. Contemporary understanding of SP favours a biopsychosocial approach, and emerging evidence suggests the stronger influence of psychological rather than other factors. Objectives We aimed to investigate if experiencing psychological distress in early childhood increases the risk of spinal pain with impact during adolescence. Methods 1175 adolescents from a prospective cohort study (Raine Study Gen2) were included. Psychological distress was assessed at ages 2, 5, 8 and 10 using Child Behaviour Check List (CBCL). CBCL total and subscale scores (internalizing and externalizing symptoms) were converted to age‐standardized scores and dichotomized according to t‐scores (>60=high distress). Life‐time spinal pain, including low back, mid back, or neck/shoulder, was measured at age 17. We were interested in adolescent SP with impact (care seeking, medication use, school absenteeism, daily activity interference, leisure activity interference) and defined cases as SP with impact (one or more) or greater impact (two or more) impacts. We investigated the longitudinal associations between childhood psychological distress and adolescent SP using univariate and multivariable logistic regression models. Results Psychological distress in childhood increased the odds of adolescent SP with impact by 33% (OR 1.33; 95% CI 1.01–1.76), but not spinal pain with greater impact (OR 1.22; 95% 0.83–1.80). Internalizing symptoms were associated with SP with greater impact and externalizing symptoms with SP with impact after adjusting for a range of potential child and family confounders. Conclusion Psychological distress in childhood increases the risk of SP with impact in adolescence and may be a promising prevention target. Significance Our findings provide evidence that psychological distress early in life is an independent risk factor for spinal pain with impact during adolescence. As psychological distress during childhood is potentially modifiable, it may be a promising target for research on the prevention of consequential spinal pain in adolescence. Identifying and addressing psychological distress in children may be an important component of best practice to reduce consequential spinal pain in adolescents.