Negative back beliefs are associated with increased odds of low back pain and disability: a 10-year cohort study in men

Mahnuma M Estee; YuanYuan Wang; Stephane Heritier; Donna M Urquhart; Flavia M Cicuttini; Mark A Kotowicz; Sharon L Brennan-Olsen; Julie A Pasco; Anita E Wluka

doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kead587

Negative back beliefs are associated with increased odds of low back pain and disability: a 10-year cohort study in men

Rheumatology (Oxford). 2023 Nov 8:kead587. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead587. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Mahnuma M Estee¹, YuanYuan Wang¹, Stephane Heritier¹, Donna M Urquhart¹, Flavia M Cicuttini¹, Mark A Kotowicz^{2

3

4}, Sharon L Brennan-Olsen^{5

6}, Julie A Pasco^{1

2

3

4}, Anita E Wluka¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
² Deakin University, IMPACT-Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
³ Department of Medicine-Western Health, The University of Melbourne, St Albans, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ University Hospital Geelong, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
⁵ Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Sciences (AIMSS), Western Health and University of Melbourne, St Albans, Victoria, Australia.
⁶ School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.

PMID: 37947323
DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead587

Abstract

Objective: Although negative back beliefs are associated with high-intensity low back pain (LBP)/disability, whether they influence incident high-intensity LBP/high-disability over the long-term is unknown. This study aimed to investigate whether negative back beliefs were associated with developing high-intensity LBP and/or high-disability over 10 years in men.

Methods: Men with no or low-intensity LBP and/or disability attending the Geelong Osteoporosis Study between 2006-2010 were included. Data on age, body mass index, mobility, education, back beliefs (Back Beliefs Questionnaire), LBP and disability (Graded Chronic Pain Scale) were collected between 2006-2010. Beliefs, LBP and disability were re-assessed in 2016-2021. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the association between negative back beliefs and incident high-intensity pain and/or high-disability, adjusting for age, body mass index, mobility, and education.

Results: At baseline, 705 participants (mean age 53.8 years) had no or low LBP and no or low-disability; 441 (62.6%) participants completed a 10-year follow-up. Of these, 37 (8.4%) developed high-intensity pain and/or high-disability. In multivariate analyses, participants with more negative back beliefs at baseline were more likely to develop high-intensity pain and/or high-disability (Odds ratio 1.05, 95% CI 1.00-1.11). Developing more negative back beliefs was also associated with incident high-intensity pain and/or high-disability (Odds Ratio 1.20, 95% CI 1.12-1.30).

Conclusion: In a male community-based population, negative beliefs regarding the consequences of LBP were associated with an increased likelihood of developing high-intensity pain and/or high-disability. Addressing negative back beliefs in the community may reduce the incidence of high-intensity pain and/or high-disability over 10 years in men.

Keywords: Back beliefs; Cohort study; Disability; Low back pain.