SynthesisBMJ open2017
Factors associated with return to work among people on work absence due to long-term neck or back pain: a narrative systematic review.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Prognostic factors for return to work in patients affected by chronic low back pain: a systematic review.Musculoskeletal surgery · 2024Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Methods to predict the timing and status of biological maturation in male adolescent soccer players: A narrative systematic review.PloS one · 2023Pooled it
- Barriers and Facilitators Associated with Return to Work Following Minor to Serious Road Traffic Musculoskeletal Injuries: A Systematic Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2022Pooled it
- Modifiable prognostic factors of high societal costs among people on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders: a replication study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2024Trial
- Article
- Returning to Work and Cost-Effectiveness After Lumbar Facet Cryodenervation Among Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Predicting low back pain-related absenteeism in the Spanish general working population.Occupational and environmental medicine · 2026Observational
- SPINE20 recommendations 2025: Sustainable spine care for all.Brain & spine · 2026Article
- Association among clinical severity indicators, psychological health status and elastic properties of neck muscles in patients with chronic mechanical neck pain.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 · 2025Observational
- Diagnostic Accuracy of Ultrasound Imaging and Shear Wave Elastography to Discriminate Patients with Chronic Neck Pain from Asymptomatic Individuals.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- CircEYA3 aggravates intervertebral disc degeneration through the miR-196a-5p/EBF1 axis and NF-κB signaling.Communications biology · 2024Article
- Low back pain prevention behaviors and beliefs among the Polish population in a cross-sectional survey.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- A hospital-based return-to-work programme in Singapore.Industrial health · 2023Article
- Vocational Rehabilitation and Length of Stay at Work after Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Longitudinal Study in Brazil.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Return to work factors and vocational rehabilitation interventions for long-term, partially disabled workers: a modified Delphi study among vocational rehabilitation professionals.BMC public health · 2022Article
- Can the French version of the short Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire or its subsets predict the evolution of patients with acute, (sub) acute and chronic pain?BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2022Article
- Training on involving cognitions and perceptions in the occupational health management and work disability assessment of workers: development and evaluation.BMC medical education · 2022Article
- Multidisciplinary programme for rehabilitation of chronic low back pain - factors predicting successful return to work.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2021Article
- Predictors of return to work among women with long-term neck/shoulder and/or back pain: A 1-year prospective study.PloS one · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe purpose of this narrative systematic review was to summarise prognostic factors for return to work (RTW) among people with long-term neck/shoulder or back pain.
methodsA systematic literature search was performed through three databases (Medline, CINAHL and PsycINFO) for studies published until February 2016. Only observational studies of people on work absence (≥2 weeks) due to neck/shoulder or back pain were included. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using guidelines for assessing quality in prognostic studies on the basis of Framework of Potential Biases. Factors found in the included studies were grouped into categories based on similarities and then labelled according to the aspects covered by the factors in the category.
resultsNine longitudinal prospective cohort studies and one retrospective study fulfilled the inclusion criteria. From these, five categories of factors were extracted. Our findings indicate that recovery beliefs, health-related factors and work capacity are important for RTW among people with long-term neck or back pain. We did not find support for workplace factors and behaviour being predictive of RTW.
conclusionsOur findings suggest that recovery beliefs, perceived health and work capacity may be important targets of intervention for people with long-term neck or back pain. However, more high-quality prospective studies are needed to confirm the results and improve our understanding of what is needed to facilitate RTW in this population.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.