Table 1.

Demographic characteristics of participants, MRI findings, and prevalence of surgery following MRI

			Surgery following MRI
Characteristics/abnormalities	No. (%) of participants		Before baseline questionnaire		After baseline questionnaire		Any time following MRI
			n	%	n	%	n	%
Sex
Male	111	(46)	21	19	21	19	38	34
Female	129	(54)	24	19	20	16	36	28
Age at MRI (years)
20-39	80	(33)	12	15	9	11	21	26
40-49	71	(30)	21	30	18	25	31	44
50-64	89	(37)	12	14	14	16	22	25
Disc degeneration
Absent	130	(54)	26	21	19	15	39	30
Present	110	(46)	19	18	22	20	35	32
Disc herniation
Absent	79	(33)	6	8	7	9	12	15
Present	161	(67)	39	25	34	21	62	39
Nerve root displacement/compression
Absent	131	(55)	10	8	16	12	24	18
Present	109	(45)	35	33	25	23	50	46
High intensity zone
Absent	90	(38)	20	23	15	17	30	33
Present	150	(62)	25	17	26	17	44	29
Number of MRI abnormalities
0	32	(13)	1	3	2	6	3	9
1	35	(15)	5	16	4	11	7	20
2	67	(28)	15	22	14	21	26	39
3	63	(26)	13	21	9	14	20	32
4	43	(18)	11	26	12	28	18	42