Global disparities in association between leisure-time physical activity and chronic musculoskeletal pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
Background: Previous studies have extensively investigated the association between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMSP). However, the results have been inconsistent. It is not known whether the differences in the association between LTPA and CMSP are due to underlying factors such as demographic patterns, geographical characteristics, and location(s) of pain.
Methods: The systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess global disparities in association between LTPA and CMSP. PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Web of Science were searched for observational studies examining LTPA and the prevalence or incidence of CMSP in the general population. The systematic review with quality assessment using the JBI checklist and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was followed by a random-effects meta-analysis, including subgroup analysis using the following variables: sex, age group, geographical regions and location(s) of pain. Clinical significance of the pooled odds ratio (OR) was assessed using Cohen's d and risk of publication bias was assessed using Egger's test, funnel plot and trim-and-fill analysis.
Results: Across 119 studies, the overall OR for the association between LTPA and CMSP averaged 0.78 (95% CI: 0.70-0.87, I2 = 99.5%) with no clinical significance (d = -0.137). Differences between genders were insignificant. Among age subgroups, adults and middle-aged/older adults showed a negative association between LTPA and CMSP (OR = 0.62,…
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