| PMC full text: | Published online 2017 Mar 31. doi: 10.1186/s12891-017-1495-3
|
Table 1
Patient-reported baseline characteristics of chiropractic patients (a) and general practice patients (b)
| All chiropractic patients (a) n = 947 | ‘LBP alone’ n = 614 (67%) | ‘LBP + pain above knee’ n = 219 (24%) | ‘LBP + pain below knee’ n = 69 (7%) | ‘LBP + signs of nerve root involvement’ n = 20 (2%) | Quebec missing n = 25 (3%) | p-values§ | |
| Age in yearsa | 43 (28, 59) | 42 (27, 58) | 45 (30, 60) | 47 (32, 63) | 48 (33, 66) | 37 (23, 62) | <.01 |
| Femalesb | 45 (42–48) | 42 (38–45) | 52 (45–58) | 52 (40–64) | 55 (32–76) | 40 (22–61) | 0.03 |
| Physical work loadb | 0.82 | ||||||
| - Sitting | 23 (21–26) | 23 (20–27) | 25 (19–31) | 22 (13–34) | 18 (5–46) | 22 (9–45) | |
| - Sitting/walking | 34 (31–37) | 34 (30–38) | 34 (28–41) | 38 (27–52) | 41 (19–67) | 22 (9–45) | |
| - Light physical work | 21 (19–24) | 22 (19–25) | 20 (15–26) | 17 (9–29) | 6 (1–37) | 35 (17–57) | |
| - Heavy physical work | 21 (19–24) | 21 (18–24) | 21 (16–27) | 23 (14–36) | 35 (15–62) | 22 (9–45) | |
| Sick leaveb | 22 (19–25) | 20 (17–24) | 26 (20–32) | 28 (18–41) | 24 (8–52) | 14 (4–37) | 0.23 |
| Educational levelb | 0.04 | ||||||
| - No qualification | 9 (7–11) | 9 (7–12) | 10 (6–15) | 6 (2–16) | 11 (2–39) | - | |
| - Vocational training, | 26 (23–29) | 26 (23–30) | 24 (18–30) | 32 (22–45) | 33 (14–60) | 25 (11–47) | |
| - Higher education < 3 y | 16 (13–18) | 14 (12–17) | 21 (16–27) | 8 (3–18) | 28 (11–55) | 13 (4–34) | |
| - Higher education 3–4 y | 34 (31–38) | 33 (30–37) | 36 (31–43) | 37 (26–50) | 28 (11–55) | 42 (23–63) | |
| - Higher education >4 y | 15 (13–18) | 17 (14–21) | 9 (6–14) | 17 (9–28) | - | 21 (8–43) | |
| Duration of painb | 0.02 | ||||||
| - 0–2 weeks | 62 (59–66) | 66 (62–70) | 58 (52–65) | 55 (42–66) | 39 (18–65) | 50 (30–70) | |
| - 2–4 weeks | 14 (12–16) | 14 (11–17) | 13 (9–18) | 11 (5–21) | 22 (8–49) | 17 (6–39) | |
| - 1–3 months | 10 (9–13) | 9 (7–11) | 14 (10–20) | 12 (6–23) | 17 (5–44) | 8 (2–30) | |
| - >3 months | 13 (11–16) | 11 (9–14) | 14 (10–20) | 23 (14–35) | 22 (8–49) | 25 (11–47) | |
| Previous LBP episodesb | 0.03 | ||||||
| - 0 episodes | 16 (14–19) | 17 (14–20) | 17 (12–22) | 6 (2–15) | 18 (51–46) | 21 (8–43) | |
| - 1–3 episodes | 35 (32–38) | 37 (33–41) | 33 (27–40) | 27 (18–40) | 24 (8–52) | 29 (14–52) | |
| - >3 episodes | 49 (45–52) | 46 (42–50) | 50 (44–57) | 67 (54–77) | 59 (33–81) | 50 (30–70) | |
| LBP last yearb | <0.001 | ||||||
| - ≤30 days | 74 (72–77) | 79 (76–82) | 68 (61–74) | 58 (46–70) | 53 (27–78) | 75 (53–89) | |
| - >30 days | 26 (23–28) | 21 (18–24) | 32 (26–39) | 42 (30–54) | 47 (22–73) | 25 (11–47) | |
| LBP intensitya | 7 (3, 9) | 7 (3, 9) | 7 (4, 9) | 8 (3, 9) | 7 (3, 9) | 8 (2, 10) | 0.07 |
| Leg pain intensitya | 2 (0, 7) | 0 (0, 5) | 4 (1, 7) | 6 (2, 9) | 8 (4, 9) | 0 (0, 6) | <0.001 |
| Recovery expectationsa | 9 (4, 10) | 10 (4, 10) | 9 (4, 10) | 8 (2, 10) | 9 (1, 10) | 10 (4, 10) | <0.001 |
| Depressive symptomsa | 6 (1, 18) | 5 (1, 17) | 7.5 (2, 21) | 9.5 (2, 21) | 6 (2, 34) | 7 (2, 19) | <0.001 |
| Fear avoidance beliefs physical activitya | 13 (6, 20) | 13 (6, 20) | 12 (5, 19) | 14 (2, 20) | 12 (5, 20) | 14 (6, 22) | 0.08 |
| Fear avoidance beliefs worka | 11 (3, 26) | 10 (3, 26) | 13 (2, 24) | 12 (2, 31) | 17.5 (5,31) | 11 (4, 33) | 0.10 |
| Start Back Toolb | <0.001 | ||||||
| - Low risk | 54 (51–57) | 60 (56–64) | 41 (34–48) | 44 (32–57) | 35 (15–62) | 46 (26–67) | |
| - Medium risk | 38 (35–41) | 34 (30–38) | 47 (40–54) | 48 (35–60) | 41 (19–67) | 42 (23–63) | |
| - High risk | 8 (6–10) | 6 (4–8) | 13 (8–18) | 8 (3–18) | 24 (8–52) | 13 (4–34) | |
| Activity limitationa | 52 (17, 83) | 52 (13, 83) | 56 (26, 83) | 57 (17, 83) | 74 (17, 90) | 59 (15, 85) | 0.01 |
| General healtha | 70 (35, 90) | 75 (37, 90) | 70 (30, 90) | 67 (34, 90) | 70 (28, 97) | 72 (40, 92) | <.01 |
| All general practice patients (b) n = 324 | ‘LBP alone’ n = 97 (48%) | ‘LBP + pain above knee’ n = 42 (21%) | ‘LBP + pain below knee’ n = 39 (19%) | ‘LBP + signs of nerve root involvement’ n = 23 (11%) | Quebec missing n = 123 (38%) | p-values§ | |
| Age in yearsa | 46 (27–59) | 46 (23–61) | 47 (31–60) | 49 (34–61) | 45 (34–60) | 44 (26–58) | 0.48 |
| Femalesb | 55 (49–60) | 54 (43–63) | 64 (48–78) | 46 (31–62) | 39 (21–61) | 58 (49–67) | 0.20 |
| Physical work loadb | 0.45 | ||||||
| - Sitting | 14 (11–19) | 19 (11–29) | 6 (1–21) | 11 (3–30) | 37 (17–62) | 18 (11–26) | |
| - Sitting/walking | 32 (27–38) | 33 (24–44) | 34 (20–52) | 36 (20–56) | - | 30 (22–39) | |
| - Light physical work | 28 (23–33) | 23 (15–34) | 23 (11–40) | 32 (17–52) | 32 (14–57) | 31 (22–40) | |
| - Heavy physical work | 25 (21–31) | 25 (16–35) | 37 (22–55) | 21 (9–42) | 32 (14–57) | 22 (15–31) | |
| Sick leaveb | 40 (34–46)) | 34 (25–45) | 54 (37–70)) | 39 (23–58) | 56 (31–78) | 37 (29–47) | 0.12 |
| Educational levelb | 0.47 | ||||||
| - No qualification | 20 (16–25) | 16 (10–26) | 26 (14–42) | 26 (13–43) | 20 (7–45) | 19 (13–28) | |
| - Vocational training, | 18 (14–23) | 16 (10–26) | 23 (12–40) | 17 (8–34) | 20 (7–45) | 18 (12–26) | |
| - Higher education < 3 y | 22 (18–27) | 19 (12–29) | 26 (14–42) | 17 (8–34) | 30 (13–55) | 23 (16–31) | |
| - Higher education 3–4 y | 29 (24–34) | 31 (22–41) | 18 (9–34) | 34 (20–52) | 25 (10–50) | 31 (23–40) | |
| - Higher education >4 y | 6 (4–9) | 14 (8–23) | 3 (0–17) | 3 (0–19) | - | 3 (1–8) | |
| Duration of painb | 0.03 | ||||||
| - 0–2 weeks | 39 (33–44) | 42 (32–53) | 51 (35–67) | 20 (9–37) | 20 (7–45) | 41 (32–50) | |
| - 2–4 weeks | 14 (10–18) | 15 (9–25) | 5 (1–20) | 17 (8–34) | 15 (4–40) | 14 (8–21) | |
| - 1–3 months | 16 (12–21) | 20 (13–30) | 8 (2–23) | 14 (6–31) | 20 (7–45) | 15 (10–23) | |
| - >3 months | 32 (27–37) | 22 (15–33) | 35 (21–52) | 49 (32–65) | 45 (24–68) | 31 (23–40) | |
| Previous LBP episodesb | 0.03 | ||||||
| - 0 episodes | 14 (11–19) | 23 (15–34) | 8 (2–23) | 6 (1–21) | 5 (1–32) | 14 (9–22) | |
| - 1–3 episodes | 24 (19–29) | 16 (10–26) | 37 (23–54) | 23 (11–40) | 25 (10–50) | 25 (18–34) | |
| - >3 episodes | 62 (56–67) | 60 (50–70) | 55 (39–71) | 71 (54–84) | 70 (45–87) | 60 (51–69) | |
| LBP last yearb | 0.29 | ||||||
| - ≤30 days | 51 (45–56) | 56 (45–66) | 53 (36–68) | 37 (22–55) | 45 (24–68) | 51 (42–60) | |
| - >30 days | 49 (44–55) | 44 (34–55) | 47 (32–64) | 63 (45–78) | 55 (32–76) | 49 (40–58) | |
| LBP intensitya | 7 (4, 9) | 7 (4, 9) | 8 (5, 10) | 7 (4, 9) | 7 (3, 10) | 7 (4, 9) | 0.35 |
| Leg pain intensitya | 3 (0, 9) | 0 (0, 6) | 5 (0, 9) | 7 (3, 9) | 6 (4, 10) | 3 (0, 9) | <0.001 |
| Recovery expectationsa | 6 (0, 10) | 7 (2, 10) | 8 (0, 10) | 3 (0, 9) | 5 (0, 7) | 7 (1, 10) | <0.001 |
| Depressive symptomsa | 9 (2, 26) | 8 (2, 22) | 7 (1, 27) | 15 (2.6, 39) | 10 (4, 28) | 9 (2, 25) | 0.09 |
| Fear avoidance beliefs physical activitya | 14 (6, 21) | 13 (3, 21) | 15 (8, 20) | 14.5 (5, 22) | 17 (9, 24) | 13.5 (6, 21) | 0.01 |
| Fear avoidance beliefs worka | 14 (3, 28) | 11 (3, 27) | 18 (6, 27) | 16 (4, 30) | 23 (12, 38) | 14 (3, 29) | 0.001 |
| Start Back Toolb | <0.001 | ||||||
| - Low risk | 41 (36–47) | 51 (40–62) | 31 (17–50) | 25 (13–44) | 27 (9–57) | 44 (35–54) | |
| - Medium risk | 36 (30–41) | 28 (19–39) | 59 (41–75) | 25 (13–44) | 33 (13–63) | 38 (29–47) | |
| - High risk | 23 (18–28) | 21 (14–32) | 9 (3–27) | 50 32–68) | 40 17–68) | 18 (12–26) | |
| Activity limitationa | 61 (22, 87) | 54 (17, 83) | 61 (35, 87) | 74 (14, 96) | 72 (31, 91) | 65 (22, 87) | <0.001 |
| General healtha | 60 (26, 90) | 65 (35, 90) | 60 (19, 90) | 50 (20, 86) | 50 (16, 74) | 65 (25, 90) | 0.005 |
aMedian (10%, 90% centiles)
bProportion (95% CI)
§ P-values for test of any differences across the four QTF categories