Table 2.

Baseline characteristics.

	Rehabilitation group (n = 63)	Primary-care group (n = 62)	p-value
Women	33 (52 [40 – 65]%)	35 (56 [44 – 69]%)	NS
Age (years)	42.2 [39.8 – 44.6]	43.0 [40.4 – 45.7]	NS
Neck-pain domination	17 (27 [16 – 38]%)	21 (34 [22 – 46]%)	NS
Widespread (= back + neck) pain	55 (87 [79 – 96]%)	45 (73 [61 – 84]%)	.04
Pain score (VAS, 0 – 100; median (IQR))[48]:
"Just now"	61 (30)	53 (30)	NS
"Worst last week"	77 (29)	73 (26)	NS
Health-related quality of life (EQ-5D)[49]
(median (IQR))	.489 (.332)	.497 (.332)	NS
Immigrants (= born outside Sweden)	19 (30 [19 – 42]%)	15 (24 [13 – 35]%)	NS
Single life	19 (30 [19 – 42]%)	21 (34 [22 – 46]%)	NS
Low education (= at most junior high school)	37 (60 [47 – 72]%)	35 (56 [44 – 69]%)	NS
Blue-collar work (of the non-unemployed)	41 (87 [77 – 97]%)	47 (87 [77 – 97]%)	NS
Unemployed	14 (22 [12 – 33]%)	15 (24 [13 – 35]%)	NS
Previous sick-listing (days)*	223 [189 – 257]	222 [188 – 256]	NS
Lifting capacity (kg; mean):
PILE lumbar [36]	12.3 [10.4 – 14.2]	12.4 [10.3 – 14.6]	NS
PILE cervical [36]	11.5 [9.7 – 13.3]	11.6 [9.6 – 13.6]	NS

Descriptive statistics. The 95% confidence intervals are shown within brackets. Bold figures indicate a significant difference.

NS = Non-significant; IQR = Inter-quartile-range.

* = Net days over the 18 months preceding baseline.