Table 2.
Pain-related characteristics of the study population and first contacting professional during the study
| Characteristics | Intervention (n = 212) | Control (n = 203) | P-value for the difference between intervention and control groups | Missing^^ in intervention %(n) | Missing^^ in control %(n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic patient records data | |||||
| First contacting professional^ % (n)2 | 0.001 | 10.8 (23) | 9.4(19) | ||
| Physician | 44.4 (84) | 27.7 (51) | |||
| Nurse and physician | 12.2 (23) | 9.2 (17) | |||
| Physiotherapist | 43.4 (83) | 62.0 (114) | |||
| Nurse alone | 0.0 (0) | 1.1 (2) | |||
| Baseline questionnaire data | |||||
| Back pain intensity during past week1 (NRS, 0–10) | 5.1 (2.4) | 4.9 (2.5) | 0.455 | 31.6 (67) | 20.7 (42) |
| Leg pain intensity during past week1 (NRS 0–10) | 3.7(3.3) | 3.3 (3.0) | 0.376 | 31.6 (67) | 20.7 (42) |
| SBT total score1 | 4.5 (2.3) | 4.6 (2.3) | 0.702 | 31.6 (67) | 20.7 (42) |
| SBT risk groups2 | 0.731 | 31.6 (67) | 20.7 (42) | ||
| Low risk2 | 37.2 (54) | 32.9 (53) | |||
| Medium2 | 40.0 (50) | 42.9 (69) | |||
| High2 | 22.8 (33) | 24.2 (39) | |||
| ÖMPSQ-short total score1 | 43.0 (17.3) | 43.2 (19.6) | 0.914 | 31.6 (67) | 20.7 (42) |
| ÖMPSQ-short risk groups*2 | 0.615 | 31.6 (67) | 20.7 (42) | ||
| Low risk2 | 48.3 (70) | 44.1 (71) | |||
| Medium2 | 18.6 (27) | 17.4 (28) | |||
| High2 | 33.1 (48) | 38.5 (62) | |||
| Pain-related fear (FABQ)3 | 34.0 (29.5) | 37.0 (36.5) | 0.249 | 31.6 (67) | 20.7 (42) |
| Pain-related fear (FABQ) -Work**3 | 13.0 (17.0) | 16.0 (21.5) | 0.213 | ||
| Pain-related fear (FABQ) -Physical activity***3 | 13.0 (8.0) | 14.0 (9.5) | 0.773 | ||
| Pain Self-Efficacy beliefs Questionnaire (PSEQ)3 | 44.0 (18.0) | 45.0 (20.0) | 0.908 | 31.6 (67) | 20.7 (42) |
| Physical functioning (PROMIS PF-20 T-score)1 | 44.7 (6.7) | 43.8 (7.4) | 0.271 | 34.3 (73) | 25.1 (51) |
| Physical impairment, (RMDQ)3 | 5.0 (7.0) | 6.0 (8.0) | 0.049 | 37.3 (79) | 29.6 (60) |
| Disability (ODI%)1 | 23.9 (8.4) | 24.1 (8.9) | 0.832 | 31.6 (67) | 20.7 (42) |
| Self-rated health status1 (1–100) | 67.1 (21.1) | 67.2 (20.8) | 0.953 | 31.9 (68) | 20.7 (42) |
| LBP frequence (daily LBP yes/no)2 | 43.4 (63) | 50.9 (82) | 0.191 | 31.6 (67) | 20.7 (42) |
| Duration of LBP2 | 0.586 | 31.6 (67) | 20.7 (42) | ||
| 3 weeks or less | 31.7 (46) | 33.5 (54) | |||
| 4 to 52 weeks | 44.8 (65) | 47.8 (77) | |||
| over one year | 23.4 (35) | 18.6 (30) | |||
| Pain medication use ≥ 3 days during past week2 | 46.9 (68) | 46.0 (74) | 0.870 | 31.6 (67) | 20.7 (42) |
1Mean (standard deviation), p-value for between-group difference from independent-samples T-test
2Percentage (frequency), p-value for between-group difference from Chi-square test
3Median (interquartile range), p-value for between-group difference from Mann–Whitney U-test
^Contacts to other professional before and after study consent allowed
^^Missing data include lost to follow-up
*Low-risk (0‒39 points), Medium-risk (40‒49 points) and High-risk (50‒100 points)
**FABQ (Fear Avoidance Believes Questionnaire) work – items 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15
***FABQ physical activity – items 2, 3, 4, 5
NRS (Numeral Rating Scale), SBT (Start-Back Tool), ÖMPSQ (Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire), PSEQ (Pain Self Efficacy Questionnaire), PROMIS PS-20 T-score (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System, 20-item physical functioning short form T-score), RMDQ-24 (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire 24 form), ODI (Oswestry Disability Index)
** and *** Waddell G, Newton M, Henderson I, Somerville D, Main CJ. A Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) and the role of fear-avoidance beliefs in chronic low back pain and disability. Pain. 1993 Feb;52(2):157–68