Are psychosocial factors associated with low back pain and work absence for low back pain in an occupational cohort?
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between individual and work-related psychosocial factors and low back pain (LBP) and associated time off work in an occupational cohort.


METHODS
A self-administered questionnaire was completed by nurses working across 3 major public hospitals. Participants provided sociodemographic data and information on the occurrence of LBP, time off work, and psychosocial factors.


RESULTS
One thousand one hundred eleven participants (response rate 38.6%) were included in the study. Fifty-six percent of participants reported LBP in the previous year. When individual psychosocial factors were examined in the same model, the relationship between somatization and LBP persisted (OR 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35, 2.01). Low job security was also significantly associated with LBP independent of the other work-related factors (OR 0.82; 95% CI, 0.69, 0.98). Of those participants with LBP, 30% reported absence from work due to LBP. When absence from work was examined, negative beliefs (OR 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94, 1.00) and pain catastrophizing (OR 1.33; 95% CI, 1.04, 1.71) were independently associated with time off work, along with low job satisfaction (OR 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51, 0.97) and high job support (OR 1.35; 95% CI, 1.04, 1.75).


CONCLUSIONS
Somatization and low job security were found to be independently associated with occupational LBP, whereas negative beliefs, pain catastrophizing, reduced job satisfaction, and high job support were independently related to time off work. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether these individual and work-related psychosocial factors predict, or alternatively, are outcomes of pain and time off work associated with LBP.
*Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, The Alfred Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia †Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Donna M
DM
Urquhart
Helen L
HL
Kelsall
Victor C W
VC
Hoe
Flavia M
FM
Cicuttini
Andrew B
AB
Forbes
Malcolm R
MR
Sim
D000328:Adult; D058443:Catastrophization / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D018582:Sick Leave; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014937:Work / Q000523:psychology*