Abdominal obesity as an independent and additive risk factor for sciatica: A population-based cross-sectional study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/

OBJECTIVES

Sciatica from sciatic nerve pathology remains a major public health concern. Individual components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) have been associated with nonspecific lower back pain. Accordingly, this study investigated the association between MetS and sciatica, evaluated the cumulative association according to the number of MetS traits, and identified key contributing factors in a large Taiwanese population.

METHODS

This cross-sectional analysis included 121,673 adults aged 30-70 years from the Taiwan Biobank. MetS was defined using the modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria for Asian populations. Sciatica was assessed through a standardized self-reported questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for sciatica in relation to MetS and its individual components.

RESULTS

MetS was associated with a higher prevalence of sciatica after multivariable adjustment (adjusted OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.06-1.34). A graded association was observed between the number of MetS components and the prevalence of sciatica, with a significant trend across increasing component burden (adjusted p for trend = 0.001). Among the individual components, abdominal obesity remained significantly associated with sciatica (adjusted OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.28-1.57). These findings were consistent across sex-stratified and standardized analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

MetS, particularly abdominal obesity, was associated with a higher prevalence of sciatica. A trend toward increasing prevalence was observed with a higher number of MetS components. Given the cross-sectional design, causal relationships cannot be inferred. These findings suggest that metabolic health may be related to sciatica burden in the general population.