Table 3 Associations of high low back pain intensity with weekly exercise time, daily sitting time, and mental health factors (anxiety and depression)

Regular exercise

  No exercise

Reference

Reference

Reference

Reference

Reference

Reference

  2–4 h/week

0.68 ^***

(0.55, 0.85)

0.89

(0.69, 1.15)

0.69 ^**

(0.53, 0.90)

0.97

(0.71, 1.32)

0.63 ^*

(0.42, 0.94)

0.71

(0.44, 1.14)

  > 4 h/week

0.58 ^***

(0.45, 0.74)

0.66 ^**

(0.49, 0.89)

0.67 ^**

(0.50, 0.90)

0.85

(0.59, 1.21)

0.41 ^***

(0.25, 0.64)

0.37 ^***

(0.21, 0.65)

Sitting

  Less than half of the day

Reference

Reference

Reference

Reference

Reference

Reference

  At least 3/4 of the day

0.90

(0.73, 1.10)

0.99

(0.80, 1.23)

0.94

(0.73, 1.22)

1.02

(0.77, 1.35)

0.84

(0.60, 1.17)

0.90

(0.62, 1.28)

  Almost all day

0.83

(0.66, 1.05)

0.96

(0.74, 1.23)

0.82

(0.61, 1.10)

0.94

(0.68, 1.29)

0.88

(0.59, 1.31)

1.01

(0.66, 1.55)

Mental health

  PHQ-4 sum score

1.36 ^*** (1.32, 1.41)

1.27 ^*** (1.22, 1.32)

1.39 ^*** (1.33, 1.45)

1.28 ^*** (1.22, 1.34)

1.32 ^*** (1.25, 1.40)

1.25 ^*** (1.18, 1.34)