Incidence and Risk Factors of Low Back Pain in Marathon Runners

Table 2

Summary of risk factors for LBP in marathon runners.

Risk factors	Non-LBP N = 764	LBP (%) N = 36	Total (%) N = 800	value
	Number (%)	Number (%)	Number (%)
Running groups
Full marathon	314 (41.1)	21 (58.3)	335 (41.9)	0.044
Half marathon	450 (58.9)	15 (41.7)	465 (58.1)
Foot strike patterns
Forefoot (main)	396 (51.8)	21 (58.3)	417 (52.2)	0.139
Rear heel (main)	268 (35.1)	13 (36.1)	281 (35.1)
Forefoot (only)	15 (2.0)	1 (2.8)	16 (2.0)
Full foot	41 (5.4)	0 (0)	41 (5.1)
Not clear	44 (5.7)	1 (2.8)	45 (5.6)
Warm-up activities
Enough	648 (84.8)	21 (58.3)	669 (83.6)	<0.001
Not enough	116 (15.2)	15 (41.7)	131 (16.4)
Strength
Enough	636 (83.2)	23 (63.9)	659 (82.4)	0.004
Not enough	128 (16.8)	13 (36.1)	141 (17.6)
Fatigue
Yes	123 (16.1)	15 (41.7)	138 (17.3)	<0.001
No	641 (83.9)	21 (58.3)	662 (82.7)
Shoe types
Slow shaking	365 (47.8)	17 (47.2)	382 (47.8)	0.664
Controlling	64 (8.4)	4 (11.1)	68 (8.5)
Stabilising	217 (28.4)	12 (33.3)	229 (28.6)
Sprinting	24 (3.1)	1 (2.8)	25 (3.1)
Not clear	94 (12.3)	2 (5.6)	96 (12.0)
Running gait posture
Good	669 (87.6)	25 (69.4)	694 (86.7)	0.003
Bad	95 (12.4)	11 (30.6)	106 (13.3)
Previous injuries
Yes	49 (6.4)	3 (8.3)	52 (6.5)	0.649
No	715 (93.6)	33 (91.7)	748 (93.5)
Temperature
Comfortable	758 (99.2)	33 (91.7)	791 (98.9)	0.001
Uncomfortable	6 (0.8)	3 (8.3)	9 (1.1)
Site environment
Adapted	748 (97.9)	34 (94.4)	782 (97.7)	0.189
Unadapted	16 (2.1)	2 (5.6)	18 (2.3)
Psychology
Affected	7 (0.9)	1 (2.8)	8 (1.0)	0.298
Unaffected	757 (99.1)	35 (97.2)	792 (99.0)
Other aspects
Yes	30 (3.9)	1 (2.8)	31 (3.8)	0.728
No	734 (96.1)	35 (97.2)	769 (96.2)

Non-LBP: non-low back pain; LBP: low back pain. .