Table 3 Adjusted relative risk ratio (RRR) of spinal pain at age 11–12 and age 18, respectively, according to height trajectory groups for both 0–11 years and 0–18 years. (The Danish National Birth Cohort, born 1996–2003)

Body height trajectories up to age 11  (N = 43,765)

 Early catch up before age 7 (1.7%)

115/45

0.89 (0.69–1.14)

0.82 (0.57–1.17)

97/33

0.96 (0.74–1.25)

1.06 (0.70–1.59)

 Height below mean (19.8%)

1,424/581

0.91 (0.85–0.98)

0.88 (0.79–0.98)

1,163/348

1.02 (0.94–1.19)

0.89 (0.78–1.02)

 Normal height (38.3%)

3,020/1,326

Ref.

Ref.

2,425/836

Ref.

Ref.

 Height slightly above mean (19.1%)

1,094/520

1.01 (0.91–1.12)

1.15 (1.02–1.29)

1,000/336

0.96 (0.88–1.05)

0.95 (0.83–1.09)

 Height above mean (21%)

1,369/666

1.13 (1.04–1.22)

1.27 (1.14–1.41)

1,280/470

1.00 (0.92–1.09)

1.07 (0.95–1.21)

Body height trajectories up to age 18 (N = 26,114) ^c

 Early catch up before age 7 (1.5%)

66/54

0.70 (0.50–0.98)

0.67 (0.47–1.97)

31/14

0.77 (0.50–1.18)

0.76 (0.43–1.35)

 Height below mean (20.6%)

1,218/922

0.98 (0.89–1.08)

0.99 (0.89–1.10)

569/177

1.00 (0.89–1.13)

0.77 (0.64–0.92)

 Normal height (40.3)

2,475/1,834

Ref.

Ref.

1,164/463

Ref.

Ref.

 Height slightly above mean (16.3%)

745/587

1.00 (0.89–1.12)

1.04 (0.91–1.17)

435/163

1.08 (0.94–1.24)

0.99 (0.82–1.22)

 Height above mean (21.3%)

1,079/930

1.05 (0.95–1.16)

1.23 (1.11–1.37)

651/270

1.11 (0.99–1.25)

1.16 (0.98–1.37)