Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Research article

A screening tool for non-specific low back pain with disability in office workers: a 1-year prospective cohort study

Authors: Prawit Janwantanakul, Rattaporn Sihawong, Ekalak Sitthipornvorakul, Arpalak Paksaichol

Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders | Issue 1/2015

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Having a screening tool with reasonable predictive ability is essential in providing information about an individual’s risk of developing a disease, allowing an examination to be conducted with limited personnel and time, and selecting the relevant individuals for therapeutic research. This study aimed to produce a screening tool to identify office workers at risk of developing non-specific low back pain (LBP) with disability, and to evaluate the tool’s predictive power.

Methods

At baseline, 615 healthy office workers filled out a self-administered questionnaire and underwent physical examination to gather potential risk factors. The incidence of LBP was collected every month thereafter. Disability level was assessed using the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ). The minimum RMDQ score for categorization as LBP was 3. Logistic regression was used to select significant factors to build a risk score. The coefficients from the logistic regression model were used to develop the components of a screening tool.

Results

Over the 1-year follow-up, 8.8 % of participants reported incident LBP with disability. The screening tool for non-specific low back pain with disability in office workers comprised two items that contributed to the total score: previous history of LBP and psychological demand (assessed by the Job Content Questionnaire). The score range of the screening tool was 12 to 69. With a cut-off score of 53, the sensitivity was 65 % and the specificity was 68 %. The positive and negative predictive values were 16 and 95 %, respectively. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was 0.76.

Conclusions

A screening tool for non-specific low back pain with disability in office workers was developed and appears to have reasonable sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values. Further validation and impact studies of the screening tool in a new population of office workers are suggested.
Literature
1.
Murray CJ, Vos T, Lozano R, Naghavi M, Flaxman AD, Michaud C, Ezzati M, et al. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 291 diseases and injuries in 21 regions, 1990-2010: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet. 2012;380:2197–223.
2.
Ayanniyi O, Ukpai BO, Adeniyi AF. Differences in prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms among computer and non-computer users in a Nigerian population: a cross-sectional study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2010;11:177.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
3.
Janwantanakul P, Pensri P, Jiamjarasrangsri V, Sinsongsook T. Prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms among office workers. Occup Med (Lond). 2008;58:436–8.CrossRef
4.
Juul-Kristensen B, Søgaard K, Strøyer J, Jensen C. Computer users’ risk factors for developing shoulder, elbow and back symptoms. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2004;30:390–8.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Sihawong R, Janwantanakul P, Jiamjarasrangsi W. A prospective, cluster-randomized controlled trial of exercise program to prevent low back pain in office workers. Eur Spine J. 2014;23:786–93.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
6.
Henschke N, Maher CG, Refshauge KM, Herbert RD, Cumming RG, Bleasel J, et al. Prognosis in patients with recent onset low back pain in Australian primary care: inception cohort study. BMJ. 2008;337:a171.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Manchikanti L, Singh V, Falco FJ, Benyamin RM, Hirsch JA. Epidemiology of low back pain in adults. Neuromodulation. 2014;17 Suppl 2:3–10.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Katz JN. Lumbar disc disorders and low-back pain: socioeconomic factors and consequences. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2006;88:21–4.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Lambeek LC, Van Tulder MW, Swinkels IC, Koppes LL, Anema JR, Van Mechelen W. The trend in total cost of back pain in The Netherlands in the period 2002 to 2007. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011;36:1050–8.CrossRef
10.
Moons KGM, Roysto NP, Vergouwe Y, Grobbee DE, Altman DG. Prognosis and prognostic research: what, why, and how? BMJ. 2009;338:1317–20.CrossRef
11.
Linton SJ, Boersma K. Early identification of patients at risk of developing a persistent back problem: the predictive validity of the Orebro musculoskeletal pain questionnaire. Clin J Pain. 2003;19:80–6.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Côté P, Van Der Velde G, Cassidy JD, Carroll LJ, Hogg Johnson S, Holm LW, et al. The burden and determinants of neck pain in workers. results of the bone and joint decade 2000–2010 task force on neck pain and its associated disorders. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009;32:S70–86.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Janwantanakul P, Pensri P, Moolkay P, Jiamjarasrangsi W. Development of a risk score for low back pain in office workers--a cross-sectional study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2011;12:23.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
14.
Caroll LJ, Hogg-Johnson S, Côté P, van der Velde G, Holm LW, Carragee EJ, et al. Course and prognostic factors for neck pain in workers. Results of the bone and joint decade 2000-2010 task force on neck pain and its associated disorders. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009;32:S108–16.CrossRef
15.
Paksaichol P, Janwantanakul P, Purepong N, Pensri P, van der Beek AJ. Office workers’ risk factors for the development of non-specific neck pain: A systematic review of prospective cohort studies. Occup Environ Med. 2012;69:610–8.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Janwantanakul P, Sitthipornvorakul E, Paksaichol A. Risk factors for the onset of nonspecific low back pain in office workers: a systematic review of prospective cohort studies. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2012;35:568–77.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Phakthongsuk P. Construct validity of the Thai version of the job content questionnaire in a large population of heterogeneous occupations. J Med Assoc Thai. 2009;92:564–72.PubMed
18.
Janssen I, Katzmarzyk PT, Ross R. Body mass index, waist circumference, and health risk: evidence in support of current National Institutes of Health guidelines. Arch Intern Med. 2002;162:2074–9.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Clare HA, Adams R, Maher CG. Construct validity of lumbar extension measures in McKenzie’s derangement syndrome. Man Ther. 2007;12:328–34.CrossRefPubMed
20.
Tekin Y, Ortancil O, Ankarali H, Basaran A, Sarikaya S, Ozdolap S. Biering-Sorensen test scores in coal miners. Joint Bone Spine. 2009;76:281–5.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Kuorinka I, Jonsson B, Kilbom A, Vinterberg H, Biering-Sorensen F, Andersson G, et al. Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Appl Ergon. 1987;18:233–7.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Krismer M, van Tulder M. Strategies for prevention and management of musculoskeletal conditions. Low back pain (non-specific). Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2007;21:77–91.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Pensri P, Baxter G, McDonough S. Reliability and internal consistency of the Thai version of Roland-Morris disability questionnaire and Waddell disability Index for back pain patients. Chula Med J. 2005;49:333–49.
24.
Kamper SJ, Maher CG, Herbert RD, Hancock MJ, Hush JM, Smeets RJ. How little pain and disability do patients with low back pain have to experience to feel that they have recovered? Eur Spine J. 2010;19:1495–501.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
25.
Aday LA. Designing & conducting health surveys. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers; 1996.
26.
Kleinbaum DG, Kupper LL, Muller KE. Applied regression analysis and other multivariable methods. Belmont, CA: Duxbury Press; 2007.
27.
Hosmer D, Lemeshow S. Applied logistic regression. New York: Wiley; 1989.
28.
Linton SJ, Hallden K. Can we screen for problematic back pain? A screening questionnaire for predicting outcome in acute and subacute back pain. Clin J Pain. 1998;14:209–15.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Rantonen J, Vehtari A, Karppinen J, Luoto S, Viikari-Juntura E, Hupli M, et al. Face-to-face information combined with a booklet versus a booklet alone for treatment of mild low-back pain: a randomized controlled trial. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2014;40:156–66.CrossRefPubMed
30.
Hill JC, Whitehurst DG, Lewis M, Bryan S, Dunn KM, Foster NE, et al. Comparison of stratified primary care management for low back pain with current best practice (STarT Back): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2011;378:1560–71.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
31.
Johnston V, Souvlis T, Jimmieson NL, Jull G. Associations between individual and workplace risk factors for self-reported neck pain and disability among female office workers. Appl Ergon. 2008;39:171–82.CrossRefPubMed
32.
da Costa BR, Vieira ER. Risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders: A systematic review of recent longitudinal studies. Am J Ind Med. 2010;53:285–323.PubMed
33.
Fritz JM, Wainner RS. Examining diagnostic tests: an evidence-based perspective. Examining diagnostic tests: an evidence-based perspective. Phys Ther. 2001;81:1546–64.PubMed
Metadata
Title
A screening tool for non-specific low back pain with disability in office workers: a 1-year prospective cohort study
Authors
Prawit Janwantanakul
Rattaporn Sihawong
Ekalak Sitthipornvorakul
Arpalak Paksaichol
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2474
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-015-0768-y

Other articles of this Issue 1/2015

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 1/2015 Go to the issue

Research article

Virtual mapping of 260 three-dimensional hemipelvises to analyse gender-specific differences in minimally invasive retrograde lag screw placement in the posterior acetabular column using the anterior pelvic and midsagittal plane as reference

Research article

Molecular characterization and copy number of SMN1, SMN2 and NAIP in Chinese patients with spinal muscular atrophy and unrelated healthy controls

Research article

Agreements and disagreements in exercise therapy prescriptions after hip replacement among rehabilitation professionals: a multicenter survey

Research article

Apoptosis associated with Wnt/β-catenin pathway leads to steroid-induced avascular necrosis of femoral head

Research article

The potential risk of spinal cord injury from pedicle screw at the apex of adolescent idiopathic thoracic scoliosis: magnetic resonance imaging evaluation

Research article

Genome-wide DNA methylation study of hip and knee cartilage reveals embryonic organ and skeletal system morphogenesis as major pathways involved in osteoarthritis