Male and female workers suffering from chronic low back pain display different interrelationships between the biopsychosocial variables.

Abstract

Objective: To study the biopsychosocial model of chronic low back pain in the workplace and the role of sex in it.

Design: Cross-sectional nationwide survey in a service company.

Patients: 256 workers (women 64.1%) reporting chronic low back pain.

Methods: Variables on biometry, job description, physical activity, pain severity/interference, neuropathic features, and questionnaire-based cognitive and affective parameters were collected. Within each sex group, the interrelationships between variables by Multiple Correspondence Analysis were analysed, followed by cluster analysis.

Results: In the overall sample, neuropathic features were reported by 28.9% of the patients; the cluster including the high pain disorder modalities (i.e., severity and interference) also included high pain catastrophizing and fear/avoidance towards work, as well as neuropathic features. However, in men, the modalities neighbouring high pain disorder were high anxiety and depression, and low mental quality of life, while in women, they were kinesiophobia, high fear/avoidance towards physical activity and stress at work, and low physical quality of life.

Conclusion: As there is now a major demand for defining chronic low back pain patients based on their biopsychosocial profile to improve care and prognosis, this study's results indicate the relevance of conducting such phenotyping at an early stage in a working environment, and that it is preferable to construct predictive models for each sex group.