Gender-specific associations between fat mass, metabolic syndrome and musculoskeletal pain in community residents: A three-year longitudinal study

Increase in fat mass is correlated with musculoskeletal pain. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between fat mass and the musculoskeletal pain prospectively in Korean community residents. In the Korean Health and Genome Study, participants (mean age 60.2 years, 56.2% women) completed pain questionnaires and underwent dual x-ray absorptiometry to calculate body composition. Three-year follow-up data on pain was available for 1,325 participants. Pain was categorized according to number of pain regions. At three years of follow-up, participants were classified as follows: 1) no pain both at baseline and at three years (no pain), 2) any pain (one, two or more, or widespread regions) at baseline and no pain at three years (transient pain), 3) no pain at baseline and any pain at three years (new pain) 4) any pain both at baseline and at 3 years (persistent pain). 1) and 2) were grouped as no/transient pain group (no pain) and 3) and 4) as new/persistent pain group (pain). Female gender and obesity were two significant factors associated with the persistence or development of pain. Total fat mass and fat:muscle mass ratio were associated with pain among female participants only, and the odds ratios for pain were significantly increased in female participants in the highest quartile of total fat mass and fat muscle ratio after adjustment. In conclusion, both female gender and obesity were two significant factors associated with pain. Fat mass parameters and pain were significantly associated only among females.