Evidence map›Paper›PMID 16299094›Full record

SynthesisOccupational and environmental medicine2005

Prognostic factors for duration of sick leave in patients sick listed with acute low back pain: a systematic review of the literature.

I A Steenstra, J H Verbeek, M W Heymans, P M Bongers

Open access · bronzeAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Occupational and environmental medicine, 2005. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 171 papers, 26 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
171citing papers in PubMed, 26 pooled it
9.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

171 citing papers in PubMed, 26 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 503 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Patients' experiences with musculoskeletal spinal pain: a qualitative systematic review.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026
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  9. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for acute low back pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020
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  16. Workplace interventions to prevent work disability in workers on sick leave.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2015
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111 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

I A SteenstraInstitute for Research in Extramural Medicine and Department of Public and Occupational Health, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands. i.a.steenstra@amc.uva.nl
J H Verbeek
M W Heymans
P M Bongers
Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc · NLFinnish Institute of Occupational Health · FIWestern Digital (Netherlands) · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe percentages of patients with acute low back pain (LBP) that go on to a chronic state varies between studies from 2% to 34%. In some of these cases low back pain leads to great costs.

aimsTo evaluate the evidence for prognostic factors for return to work among workers sick listed with acute LBP.

methodsSystematic literature search with a quality assessment of studies, assessment of levels of evidence for all factors, and pooling of effect sizes.

resultsInclusion of studies in the review was restricted to inception cohort studies of workers with LBP on sick leave for less than six weeks, with the outcome measured in absolute terms, relative terms, survival curve, or duration of sick leave. Of the studies, 18 publications (14 cohorts) fulfilled all inclusion criteria. One low quality study, four moderate quality studies, and nine high quality studies were identified; 79 prognostic factors were studied and grouped in eight categories for which the evidence was assessed.

conclusionsSpecific LBP, higher disability levels, older age, female gender, more social dysfunction and more social isolation, heavier work, and receiving higher compensation were identified as predictors for a longer duration of sick leave. A history of LBP, job satisfaction, educational level, marital status, number of dependants, smoking, working more than 8 hour shifts, occupation, and size of industry or company do not influence duration of sick leave due to LBP. Many different constructs were measured to identify psychosocial predictors of long term sick leave, which made it impossible to determine the role of these factors.

Indexed as

Sick LeaveAcute DiseaseAge FactorsCohort StudiesDisability EvaluationDisease ProgressionHumansLow Back PainPrognosisSex FactorsSocial IsolationWork Schedule Tolerance

Identifiers

PMID16299094
PMCPMC1740930
OpenAlexW2123717004

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.