title: Low back pain risk factors associated with persistence, recurrence and delayed presentation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is little knowledge in the literature on the role of time-related variables for the prognosis of acute and subacute low back pain (LBP).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to estimate the relationship between time-related LBP characteristics and prognostic factors for acute/subacute LBP.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a prospective inception cohort study of 315 patients attending a health practitioner for acute/subacute LBP or recurrent LBP. One-tailed correlations were conducted between patient characteristics and time-related variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pattern of correlation between risk factors for and resources against persistent LBP differed between three time-related variables. 'Subacute LBP' and 'delayed presentation' were positively associated with psychological factors. Both indicators were negatively correlated with resources against development of persistent LBP. Moreover, 'delayed presentation' was related positively with occupational stressors. In contrast, 'recurrent LBP' was only related to more impaired health-related factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with current LBP waiting longer until seeking help in primary care have a more disadvantageous profile of occupational and psychological risk factors and lower resource levels. A similar but less pronounced pattern occurred in those with subacute LBP compared to those with acute LBP. Consideration of time characteristics of LBP may help to better understand LBP.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melloh
authors.affiliation: Department of Work and Organizational Psychology, Institute for Psychology, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elfering
authors.affiliation: Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Tasha R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Stanton
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Asklepios Klinikum Uckermark, Schwedt/Oder, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barz
authors.affiliation: Institute for Evaluative Research in Orthopaedic Surgery, MEM Research Center, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Emin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aghayev
authors.affiliation: Institute for Evaluative Research in Orthopaedic Surgery, MEM Research Center, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Röder
authors.affiliation: Centre for Musculoskeletal Outcomes Research, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Theis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Back pain; inception cohort; occupational; prognosis; resources; risk factors