Long-term Health Outcomes of Neck and Low Back Pain in Rural Men
Author Information
Author(s): Sara AC Holmberg, Anders G Thelin
Primary Institution: Research and Development Centre, Kronoberg County Council
Hypothesis
What are the long-term health outcomes for neck and low back pain in a rural population?
Conclusion
Neck and low back symptoms predicted primary care consultations and sick leave, but few individuals utilized health care services or received disability pensions over 12 years.
Supporting Evidence
- 21% of men with neck or low back pain consulted a primary care provider.
- 7% of men with neck or low back pain were on sick leave.
- 4% of men with neck or low back pain received a disability pension.
Takeaway
If you have neck or back pain, it might make you visit the doctor or take time off work, but not many people actually do that over a long time.
Methodology
A cohort study followed 2,351 men over 12 years, assessing health outcomes through structured interviews and multiple logistic regression.
Potential Biases
Recall bias may affect the accuracy of reported health outcomes over the 12-year follow-up.
Limitations
The study is limited to a rural population and only includes men, which may not represent the general population.
Participant Demographics
The cohort consisted of 2,351 male farmers and non-farmers aged 40-60 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI 2.24–7.49 for primary care consultations; 95% CI 1.13–9.22 for sick leave
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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