Prevention May Need to Start in Early Life, Study SuggestsNewswise — PHILADELPHIA, PA — Work and lifestyle factors affecting the risk of disability due to low back disorders tend to be shared among family members, reports a study in the November Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). The report was part of a continuing study of risk factors for future disability pension from low back disorders, based on a large sample of Finnish twins. The use of twin data helps to evaluate possible familial factors affecting risk. The lead author was Annina Ropponen, PhD, of the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio.Several work-related factors were linked to an increased risk of disability pension: monotonous work, lifting and carrying, physically heavy work, and previous unemployment. A healthy lifestyle predicted a lower risk of back-related disability.However, when disability risk was compared between twin pairs, nearly all of the risk factors were "due to family background or other factors shared by co-twins," the researchers write. In other words, the work-related and lifestyle factors that increased the risk of disability pension for back disorders were largely explained by familial factors—whether related to genetics, social background, or both."The effect of familial confounding highlights the importance of some early childhood factors or habits shared among family members," according to Dr Ropponen and colleagues. For example, factors like exercise, smoking or body weight are influenced by family background, which in turn affects disability risk."This may suggest that adopting a healthy lifestyle early in life is important if one wishes to avoid disability pension," the authors add. They note that their study is limited by the relatively small number of "discordant" twins—that is, one twin on disability and the other off disability.

About the Author Dr Ropponen may be contacted for interviews at [email protected].

About ACOEMACOEM (www.acoem.org), an international society of 4,000 occupational physicians and other health care professionals, provides leadership to promote optimal health and safety of workers, workplaces, and environments.

About Journal of Occupational and Environmental MedicineThe Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (www.joem.org) is the official journal of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Edited to serve as a guide for physicians, nurses, and researchers, the clinically oriented research articles are an excellent source for new ideas, concepts, techniques, and procedures that can be readily applied in the industrial or commercial employment setting.