Low back pain media campaign: no effect on sickness behaviour.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of a media campaign on popular beliefs about LBP, and eventual changes in sick leave, imaging examinations, and surgery.


METHODS
Quasi-experimental telephone survey of 1500 randomly chosen people before, during, and after a media campaign in two Norwegian counties, with residents of an adjacent county as the control group. Data on sickness absence, surgery rates for disc herniation and imaging examinations on LBP in the area were collected at the same intervals.


RESULTS
The campaign led to a small but statistically significant shift in beliefs about LBP in the general public. In particular, beliefs about the use of X-rays, and the importance of remaining active and at work, seemed to have changed in response to the campaign messages. However, this change in attitude and understanding of the condition did not lead to any corresponding change in sickness behaviour.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the media campaign seemed to somewhat improve beliefs about LBP in the general public, the magnitude of this was too small to produce any significant change in behaviour.


CONCLUSIONS
A media campaign on LBP should not be limited to small areas and low-budget. A much larger investment is needed for a media campaign to have sufficient impact on public's beliefs on LBP to lead to altered sickness behaviour.
Werner
Erik L
EL
Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, Norway. loewern@online.no
Ihlebaek
Camilla
C
Laerum
Even
E
Wormgoor
Marjon E A
ME
Indahl
Aage
A
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015984:Causality; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011639:Public Opinion; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D040241:Social Marketing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires