title: Fear-avoidance beliefs are independently associated with the prevalence of chronic pain in Japanese workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pain is a global public health problem with implications for both personal and social heath. Fear-avoidance beliefs (FABs) have been demonstrated to negatively impact and prolong pain in many Western countries, but little is known about the association between FABs and chronic pain (CP) in Asian countries, including Japan. We examined the relationship between FABs and CP in Japanese white-collar workers, a growing population with a high prevalence of CP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaires and company records were used to gather data from 433 Japanese white-collar workers. Data were related to experience of pain, participant sociodemographic/health/lifestyle characteristics, fear-avoidance beliefs [Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK)], work-related psychosocial factors (Brief Job Stress Questionnaire), and depressive illness [Psychological Distress Scale (K6)]. Analysis of covariance and multilevel logistic regression modeling were used to analyze associations between the data while controlling for factors known to influence CP prevalence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence rate of CP was 11.1% (48 of 433 persons). Adjusted odds ratios for participants with CP significantly increased in participants with high TSK scores, even after adjusting for factors known to influence CP prevalence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a significant association between high TSK scores and CP in Japanese white-collar workers when controlling for other known factors that influence CP such as work-related psychosocial characteristics and depressive conditions. This finding suggests that FABs are independently associated with prevalence of CP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35, Shinanomachi, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0016, Japan. k.wakamail@keio.jp.
authors.forename: Kenta
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4884-6251
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wakaizumi
authors.affiliation: Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita-Shi, Osaka, Japan.|Center for Pain Management, Osaka University Hospital, Suita-Shi, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research and Management for Musculoskeletal Pain, 22nd Century Medical and Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35, Shinanomachi, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0016, Japan.
authors.forename: Shizuko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kosugi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35, Shinanomachi, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0016, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Morisaki
authors.affiliation: Center for Pain Management, Osaka University Hospital, Suita-Shi, Osaka, Japan.|Department of Pain Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita-Shi, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research and Management for Musculoskeletal Pain, 22nd Century Medical and Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Ko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsudaira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Chronic pain; Fear of movement; Fear-avoidance belief; Occupational medicine; TSK; White-collar workers