Table 2.
Characteristics of study participants at baseline (complete data set)
| Characteristics | Total (N = 444) | IG (N = 189) | CG (N = 255) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (%)/ M (SD) | N (%)/ M (SD) | N (%)/ M (SD) | ||
| Gender | female | 163 (36.7%) | 60 (31.7%) | 103 (40.4%) |
| Age | years | 53.5 (8.5) | 53.4 (8.1) | 53.6 (8.7) |
| Schooling | maximum 9 years | 52 (12.0%) | 23 (12.5%) | 29 (11.6%) |
| 10/11 years | 183 (42.1%) | 79 (42.9%) | 104 (41.4%) | |
| 12/13 years | 200 (46.0%) | 82 (44.6%) | 118 (47.0%) | |
| Region | urban areas | 342 (77.0%) | 155 (82.0%) | 187 (73.3%) |
| rural areas | 102 (23.0%) | 34 (18.0%) | 68 (26.6%) | |
| Back pain severity (CPGQ) | grade I | 180 (40.6%) | 64 (33.9%) | 116(45.5%) |
| grade II | 62 (14.0%) | 26 (13.8%) | 36 (14.1%) | |
| grade III | 101 (22.7%) | 52 (27.5%) | 49 (19.2%) | |
| grade IV | 101 (22.7%) | 47 (24.9%) | 54 (21.2%) | |
| General health (SF-12, single item) | fair/poor | 180 (40.5%) | 83 (43.9%) | 97 (38.0%) |
| Psychological distress (PHQ-4) | no distress (< 3) | 194 (43.7%) | 79 (41.8%) | 115 (45.1%) |
| Risk of back pain chronification (STarT-G) | low (0–3) | 262 (59.0%) | 100 (52.9%) | 162 (63.5%) |
| medium (4–7) | 135 (30.4%) | 64 (33.9%) | 71 (27.8%) | |
| high (8–9) | 47 (10.6%) | 25 (13.2%) | 22 (8.6%) | |
| Body mass index | kg/m2 | 27.4 (4.8) | 27.6 (4.8) | 27.2 (4.9) |
| Sedentary timea | 75% or more | 212 (47.7%) | 99 (52.4%) | 113 (44.3%) |
| Sports activity (last 3 months) | no sports (yes) | 96 (21.6%) | 42 (22.2%) | 54 (21.2%) |
| Satisfied with medical care of back pain (NRS) | 0 = not at all content;10 = very content | 6.2 (2.7) | 5.7 (3.0) | 6.5 (2.5) |
N number valid cases, M mean, SD Standard deviation, NRS Numeric rating scale, IG Intervention group, CG Control group, CPGQ Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire according to v. Korff; STarT: Screening Instrument STarT Back Tool; SF 12: 12 Items Short Form questionnaire, PHQ-4 Patient Health Questionnaire-4; atime spent sitting on a typical day