the association between lifetime history of a neck injury in a motor vehicle collision and future neck pain: a population based cohort study
abstract
the role of neck injury in a motor vehicle collision as a predisposing factor for
future neck pain and disability is controversial. the purpose of this study is to determine
whether a past history of neck injury in a motor vehicle collision was associated with
incident troublesome neck pain. data from the saskatchewan health and back pain
survey, a population based survey mailed to a stratified random sample of 2184
saskatchewan adults aged 20-69 years was used for the analysis. fifty-five percent of
the eligible population participated and of those 74.8% responded to the six month and
62.9% at twelve month follow-up survey. the exposure was collected by asking
participants whether they had ever injured their neck in a motor vehicle collision (n=122).
the population at risk included those with no or mild neck pain at baseline (n=919). the
association between the history of neck injury in a motor vehicle collision and the
development of troublesome neck pain was analyzed with multivariable cox regression
with adjustment for confounders. the history of neck injury in a motor vehicle collision
was positively associated with the development of troublesome neck pain at six and
twelve months (crude hazard rate ratio = 2.43; 95% ci 1.28-4.60). after adjusting for
bodily pain and bmi, this association was reduced (hazard rate ratio = 2.14; 95% ci
1.12-4.10). this prospective cohort study suggests that a history of neck injury in a
motor vehicle collision was a risk factor for the development of an episode of
troublesome neck pain.