title: Self-efficacy and health locus of control: relationship to occupational disability among workers with back pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although self-efficacy and health locus of control (HLC) have been extensively studied in health research, little is known about their contribution to occupational disability among workers with back pain. This 2 year prospective study examined the association between these control belief constructs and "return to work in good health" (RWGH), a four-category, composite index of back pain outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants (n = 1,007, participation = 68.4%, follow-up = 86%) were workers with occupational disruptions who sought a medical consultation for non specific back pain in primary care and emergency settings in the Quebec City area, Canada. Information about self-efficacy for return to work (SERW) and HLC, as well as potential confounders, was collected during a telephone interview about 3 weeks after the baseline medical consultation. Polytomous logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between the baseline control variables and RWGH at 2 year. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals were used to quantify the strength of associations. For all analyses, the "success" category was considered the reference group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although bivariate analyses showed a significant association between external HLC and RWGH at 2 year, this relationship was not significant in multivariate analyses. Higher scores on the self-efficacy questionnaire were however protective of "failure to return to work after attempt(s)" (OR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.14-0.57) and of "failure to return to work" (OR: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.07-0.48) in multivariate analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-efficacy is an important determinant of the occupational outcome of back pain.
authors.affiliation: URESP du Centre de recherche FRSQ du CHA universitaire de Québec, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, 1050, chemin Ste-Foy, Quebec, QC G1S 4L8, Canada.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: Clermont E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Dionne
authors.forename: Arie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nouwen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011792:Quebec; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014937:Work / Q000523:psychology; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation