Background: Low back pain (LBP) ranks as one of the top contributors to disability-adjusted life years worldwide. Social determinants of health (SDoH) encompass a range of factors that play a pivotal role in shaping healthcare outcomes. We aimed to examine the differences in SDoH between patients with acute and chronic non-specific low back pain (NSLBP). Methods: This study was a retrospective case-control study on patients who were admitted to four tertiary hospitals affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital. Relevant ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes were used to detect patients with LBP. Patients with specific diagnoses such as degenerative joint diseases or primary or secondary bone tumors were excluded. SDoH variables along with the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and Area Deprivation Index (ADI) were collected. Wilcoxon rank sum and Chi-square tests were performed to assess the difference between the cohorts. Results: Of 2,278 patients who were labeled as chronic LBP, 17 were included. The number of female patients was significantly higher (P < 0.05). Furthermore, we did not observe any considerable difference between these two groups of patients regarding the SDoH, SVI, and ADI values. Conclusion: The prevalence of chronic NSLBP in tertiary healthcare centers might be lower. SDoH, ADI, and SVI seem not to contribute to the chronicity of NSCLBP. Future research is needed to further our understanding of the risk factors associated with NSLBP, particularly in different healthcare settings.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

This study did not receive any funding

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Ethics committee/IRB of Massachusetts General Hospital gave ethical approval for this work (IRB no. 2023P000728)

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