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Slumped sitting posture is associated with chronic low back pain amongst older adults in long-term care facilities: a cross-sectional study.

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Title: Slumped sitting posture is associated with chronic low back pain amongst older adults in long-term care facilities: a cross-sectional study.
Authors: Chan YL; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Services for the Elderly, Caritas Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China., Leung SL; Services for the Elderly, Caritas Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China., Chau WW; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China., Wong RMY; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: ronald.wong@cuhk.edu.hk., Au BK; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Source: Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.) [Geriatr Nurs] 2026 Sep; Vol. 72, pp. 104185. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jul 21.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Mosby-Yearbook Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 8309633 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1528-3984 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01974572 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Geriatr Nurs Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Publication: St Louis Mo : Mosby-Yearbook
Original Publication: [New York : American Journal of Nursing Co.
MeSH Terms: Low Back Pain*/etiology , Sitting Position* , Posture*, Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Long-Term Care ; Female ; Aged ; Male ; Aged, 80 and over
Abstract: Introduction: Older adults residing in long-term care facilities spend a prolonged time on their seats and are more susceptible to poor sitting postures, such as slumping and side leaning, as well as low back pain (LBP). Poor postures might increase the risk of LBP, but no study has focused on this frail population before. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between the severity of posterior pelvic tilt and pelvic obliquity with chronic LBP among the older adults in long-term care facilities.
Methods: A pressure mapping test was performed to determine the antero-posterior displacement of the center-of-pressure, and the interface pressure of the ischial tuberosities, which were further translated into two indices to quantify the severities of posterior pelvic tilt and pelvic obliquity. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the correlation between the presence of LBP with the two indices, and two potential confounders, body weight status and ambulatory status.
Results: Sixty-eight participants completed the study. 50% of participants (N=34) reported chronic LBP. Multivariate regression (Nagelkerke R2=0.282, p=0.003) revealed that the severity of posterior pelvic tilt was positively correlated with the presence of chronic LBP. (adjusted OR=2.127, p=0.014), but a significant association between pelvic obliquity and LBP was not detected.
Conclusion: A greater extent of slumping during sitting was shown to be positively associated with reports of chronic LBP amongst older adults receiving residential care. These two conditions are possibly interrelated. Proactive seating assessment and interventions may have potential in improving poor sitting postures and LBP.
Clinical Trial Number: not applicable.
(Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: Frailty; Long-term care; Low back pain; Older adults; Sitting posture
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260721 Date Completed: 20260907 Latest Revision: 20260907
Update Code: 20260908
DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2026.104185
PMID: 42480335
Database: MEDLINE
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  Data: Slumped sitting posture is associated with chronic low back pain amongst older adults in long-term care facilities: a cross-sectional study.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Chan+YL%22">Chan YL</searchLink>; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Services for the Elderly, Caritas Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Leung+SL%22">Leung SL</searchLink>; Services for the Elderly, Caritas Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Chau+WW%22">Chau WW</searchLink>; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Wong+RMY%22">Wong RMY</searchLink>; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: ronald.wong@cuhk.edu.hk.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Au+BK%22">Au BK</searchLink>; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%228309633%22">Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.)</searchLink> [Geriatr Nurs] 2026 Sep; Vol. 72, pp. 104185. <i>Date of Electronic Publication: </i>2026 Jul 21.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Low+Back+Pain%22">Low Back Pain*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Low+Back+Pain+etiology%22">etiology</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Sitting+Position%22">Sitting Position*</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Posture%22">Posture*</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Humans%22">Humans</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Cross-Sectional+Studies%22">Cross-Sectional Studies</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Long-Term+Care%22">Long-Term Care</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Female%22">Female</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Aged%22">Aged</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Male%22">Male</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Aged%2C+80+and+over%22">Aged, 80 and over</searchLink>
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Introduction: Older adults residing in long-term care facilities spend a prolonged time on their seats and are more susceptible to poor sitting postures, such as slumping and side leaning, as well as low back pain (LBP). Poor postures might increase the risk of LBP, but no study has focused on this frail population before. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between the severity of posterior pelvic tilt and pelvic obliquity with chronic LBP among the older adults in long-term care facilities.<br />Methods: A pressure mapping test was performed to determine the antero-posterior displacement of the center-of-pressure, and the interface pressure of the ischial tuberosities, which were further translated into two indices to quantify the severities of posterior pelvic tilt and pelvic obliquity. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the correlation between the presence of LBP with the two indices, and two potential confounders, body weight status and ambulatory status.<br />Results: Sixty-eight participants completed the study. 50% of participants (N=34) reported chronic LBP. Multivariate regression (Nagelkerke R<superscript>2</superscript>=0.282, p=0.003) revealed that the severity of posterior pelvic tilt was positively correlated with the presence of chronic LBP. (adjusted OR=2.127, p=0.014), but a significant association between pelvic obliquity and LBP was not detected.<br />Conclusion: A greater extent of slumping during sitting was shown to be positively associated with reports of chronic LBP amongst older adults receiving residential care. These two conditions are possibly interrelated. Proactive seating assessment and interventions may have potential in improving poor sitting postures and LBP.<br />Clinical Trial Number: not applicable.<br /> (Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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  Data: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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  Data: <i>Keywords: </i>Frailty; Long-term care; Low back pain; Older adults; Sitting posture
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