Intensity of neck pain and its association with anthropometric measurements

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the association between intensity of pain (PI) and anthropometric measurements among patients with chronic neck pain.

Material and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 321 patients with chronic neck pain aged 20-69 years. PI was measured by a visual analog scale (0 to 100). The following anthropometric measurements were taken; weight (Wt), standing height (StHt), sitting height (SiHt), neck circumference (NC) and absolute neck length (ANL). The body mass index (BMI) and relative neck length (RNL) were calculated. Independent sample t-test was used to compare the mean difference between groups (‘mild or moderate’ and ‘severe or worst’ pain). Pearson correlation was used to determine the correlation between PI and anthropometric measurements and p<0.05 was taken as statistically significant.

Results: A significant low positive correlation was obtained between PI and BMI of the patients with the majority being overweight or obese individuals experiencing ‘severe or worst possible pain’ (r=0.14, (p=0.03). Statistically significant low positive correlation between PI and SiHt was observed in females (r=0.16, p=0.03), but not in males (p=0.79). The means of NC, ANL and RNL were not significantly different between patients with ‘mild or moderate’ and ‘severe or worst possible’ pain among both male and female. There were no significant gender differences in PI.

Conclusion: Overweight and obese were more likely to have high intensity of neck pain. The SiHt of the females was significantly associated with intensity of neck pain.