Background: The objectives of this prospective study were to investigate personal and occupational predictors of sciatica and to compare the risk factors for sciatica and those for low back pain without sciatica.
Methods: The study analysed data from 841 men, initially free from low back pain, who were followed for 2 years. Subjects were participants in the French GAZEL cohort of employees of the national electricity and gas company. The predictive factors for sciatica and low back pain without sciatica were compared with a polytomous model.
Results: Height and driving were predictors only for sciatica, and bending forward and backward at work was a predictor only for low back pain without sciatica. The odds ratio (OR) for sciatica associated with 'height >180 cm' was 3, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.4-6.5; for driving >2 h daily it was 2 (CI = 0.94-4.10) and for driving >2 h several days a week 2.7 (CI = 1.20-6.10).
Conclusion: This study confirmed that height and driving are risk factors for sciatica and that sciatica has specific predictors different from those for other types of low back pain. Future studies should consider sciatica separately from these.