Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Association of body mass index with joint pain among community-dwelling women in Japan

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background and aims: To investigate the impact of obesity on joint pain, we examined the association of body mass index (BMI) with joint pain. Methods: 351 community-dwelling Japanese women aged 40–85 years were asked about joint pain at specific joints, and height and weight were measured. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate BMI and other potential predictors of joint pain. Results: BMI was positively associated with knee pain, but not with pain at other specific pints, after adjusting for age. The association of BMI with knee pain remained significant after adjustment for an additional covariate (physical activity). We also examined the associations of age, BMI, and regular physical activity with joint pain at any site, in the arm, in the leg, or in the back. Independently of age and regular physical activity, BMI was positively associated with joint pain in the leg, but not with pain at any site, in the arm or in the back. No significant association of physical activity with joint pain at any site, in the arm, in the leg or in the back was found. Conclusions: Knee pain was associated with greater BMI. This finding supports previous longitudinal studies, suggesting that some knee pain could be prevented by avoidance of excess weight, if the association is causative. However, the association was not very strong; thus, it is likely that many cases of knee pain cannot be avoided by weight reduction only, and may require other interventions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cunningham LS, Kelsey JL. Epidemiology of musculoskeletal impairments and associated disability. Am J Public Health 1984; 74: 574–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Miles TP, Regal K, Harris T. Musculoskeletal disorders: time trends, comorbid conditions, self-assessed health status, and associated activity limitation. Vital Health Stat 1993; 27 (Ser. 3): 275–88.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Reynolds DL, Chambers LW, Badley EM, et al. Physical disability among Canadians reporting musculoskeletal diseases. J Rheumatol 1992; 19:1020–30.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hubert HB, Bloch DA, Fries JF. Risk factors for physical disability in an aging cohort: the NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. J Rheumatol 1993; 20: 480–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Badley EM, Tennant A. Impact of disablement due to rheumatic disorders in a British population: Estimates of severity and prevalence from the Calderdale Rheumatic Disablement Survey. Ann Rheum Dis 1993; 52: 6–13.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Calkins E. Arthritis in the elderly. Bull Rheum Dis 1991; 40: 1–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Silman AJ, Hochberg MC. Osteoarthritis. In Silman AJ, Hochberg MC, Eds. Epidemiology of the rheumatic diseases. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993: 257–88.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Huang C, Ross PD, Lydick E, Wasnich RD. Factors associated with joint pain among postmenopausal women. Int J Obes 1997; 21: 349–54.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Aoyagi K, Ross PD, Huang C, Wasnich RD, Hayashi T, Takemoto T. Prevalence of joint pain is higher among women in rural Japan than urban Japanese-American women in Hawaii. Ann Rheum Dis 1999; 58: 315–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Andersen RE, Crespo CJ, Ling SM, Bathon JM, Bartlett SJ. Prevalence of significant knee pain among older Americans: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. J Am Geriatr Soc 1999; 47: 1435–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Felson DT, Naimark A, Anderson J, Kazis L, Castelli W, Meenan RF. The prevalence of knee osteoarthritis in the elderly. The Framingham Osteoarthritis Study. Arthritis Rheum 1987; 30: 914–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Anderson JJ, Felson DT. Factors associated with osteoarthritis of the knee in the first national Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HANES I). Evidence for an association with overweight, race, and physical demands of work. Am J Epidemiol 1988; 128: 179–89.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Felson DT, Zhang Y, Anthony JM, Naimark A, Anderson JJ. Weight loss reduces the risk for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis in women. The Framingham Study. Ann Intern Med 1992; 116: 535–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Felson DT, Anderson JJ, Naimark A, Walker AM, Meenan RF. Obesity and knee osteoarthritis. The Framingham Study. Ann Intern Med 1988; 109: 18–24.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Davis MA, Ettinger WH, Neuhaus JM, Cho SA, Hauck WW. The association of knee injury and obesity with unilateral and bilateral osteoarthritis of the knee. Am J Epidemiol 1989; 130: 278–88.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Lane NE. Exercise: a cause of osteoarthritis. J Rheumatol 1995; 43 (Suppl.): 3–6.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Deyo RA. Bass JE. Lifestyle and low-back pain. The influence of smoking and obesity. Spine 1989; 14: 501–6.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Raspe H. Back pain. In Silman AJ, Hochberg MC, Eds. Epidemiology of the rheumatic diseases. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1993: 330–74.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Plowman SA. Physical activity, physical fitness, and low back pain. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 1992; 20: 221–42.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Felson DT. Do occupation-related physical factors contribute to arthritis? Baillieres Clin Rheumatol 1994; 8: 63–77.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Bjelle A, Allander E. Regional distribution of rheumatic complaints in Sweden. Scand J Rheumatol 1981; 10: 9–15.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Vingard E, Alfredsson L, Goldie I, Hogstedt C. Occupation and osteoarthrosis of the hip and knee: a register-based cohort study. Int J Epidemiol 1991; 20: 1025–31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Cooper C. Occupational activity and the risk of osteoarthritis. J Rheumatol 1995; 43 (Suppl.): 10–12.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Maeda K, Okazaki F, Suenaga T, Sakurai T, Takamatsu M. Low back pain related to bowing posture of greenhouse farmers. J Hum Ergol 1980; 9: 117–23.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Hales TR, Bernard BP. Epidemiology of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Orthop Clin North Am 1996; 27: 679–709.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. US Centers for Disease Control. National arthritis action plan: A public health strategy. Atlanta: US Centers for Disease Control, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Schnitzer TJ. Osteoarthritis management: the role of cyclooxygenase-2-selective inhibitors. Clin Ther 2001; 23: 313–26.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Tepper S, Hochberg MC. Factors associated with hip osteoarthritis: data from the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-I). Am J Epidemiol 1993; 137:1081–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Lau EC, Cooper C, Lam D, Chan VN, Tsang KK, Sham A. Factors associated with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee in Hong Kong Chinese: obesity, joint injury, and occupational activities. Am J Epidemiol 2000; 152: 855–62.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan, 852-8523

    Kiyoshi Aoyagi M.D., Yosuke Kusano & Tai-ichiro Takemoto

  2. Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA

    Philip D. Ross

  3. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki

    Kunihiko Okano

  4. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mitsugi Public General Hospital, Hiroshima

    Takuo Hayashi

  5. Nagasaki University School of Health Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan

    Kazuhiko Moji

Authors
  1. Kiyoshi Aoyagi M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Philip D. Ross
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kunihiko Okano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Takuo Hayashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kazuhiko Moji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yosuke Kusano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Tai-ichiro Takemoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kiyoshi Aoyagi M.D..

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Aoyagi, K., Ross, P.D., Okano, K. et al. Association of body mass index with joint pain among community-dwelling women in Japan. Aging Clin Exp Res 14, 378–381 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324465

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324465

Keywords

Search

Navigation