title: Pain Self-Efficacy and Fear of Movement are Similarly Associated with Pain Intensity and Disability in Italian Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate cross-sectional associations of pain self-efficacy and fear of movement with pain intensity and disability in Italian patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). One hundred and three adult outpatients with nonspecific CLBP were included in the study. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed, together with Italian versions of self-reported questionnaires to measure the four constructs of interest. Multiple linear regression models were built with psychosocial constructs as main determinants, and pain intensity and disability as outcomes. Potential confounding of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics was assessed. Pain self-efficacy and fear of movement displayed moderate correlations with pain intensity (r = -0.41 and 0.42, respectively) and disability (-0.55 and 0.54). Association models adjusted for pain intensity showed that both pain self-efficacy (β = -0.35, 95% CI = -0.5; -0.2, R2= 41%) and fear of movement (β = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.36; 0.93, R2= 40%) are significantly and strongly associated with disability. Pain self-efficacy was no longer significantly associated with pain intensity when disability was added as a confounder to the model, whereas fear of movement retained its significant association (β = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.00;0.11, R2= 30%). No other variables acted as confounders in these associations. Pain self-efficacy and fear of movement are very similarly associated with main outcomes in this sample of Italian patients with CLBP. The results of this study suggest that both psychosocial constructs should be considered in clinical management. Future studies should investigate whether these findings can be replicated in other samples, in longitudinal designs and if other variables not measured in this study confound the associations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chiarotto
authors.affiliation: Medical Center, Villorba (Treviso), Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pellizzer
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vanti
authors.affiliation: Operative Unit of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Scientific Institute of Lissone, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, IRCCS, Lissone (Monza Brianza), Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monticone
keywords: chronic low back pain; disability; fear of movement; pain intensity; pain self-efficacy