Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30509231›Full record

Trial reportBMC musculoskeletal disorders2018

Fear avoidance beliefs as a predictor for long-term sick leave, disability and pain in patients with chronic low back pain.

Jeanette Sora Trinderup, Annette Fisker, Carsten Bogh Juhl, Tom Petersen

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
45citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

45 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  20. Catastrophizing and fear avoidance beliefs in chronic low back pain: a cross-sectional study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine · 2025
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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.

Jeanette Sora TrinderupBack Centre Copenhagen, Health Centre Nørrebro, Mimersgade 41, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark. jeanettesora@gmail.com.
Annette FiskerCopenRehab, Section of Social Medicine, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, Henrik Pontoppidansvej 6, 1st floor, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark.
Carsten Bogh JuhlResearch Unit for Musculoskeletal Function and Physiotherapy, Department of Sports, Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense M, Denmark.
Tom PetersenBack Centre Copenhagen, Health Centre Nørrebro, Mimersgade 41, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSubgrouping patients with chronic low back pain is recommended prior to selecting treatment strategy, and fear avoidance beliefs is a commonly addressed psychological factor used to help this subgrouping. The results of the predictive value of fear avoidance beliefs in patients with chronic low back pain in prognostic studies are, however, not in concordance. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the association between fear avoidance beliefs at baseline and unsuccessful outcome on sick leave, disability and pain at 12-month follow-up in patients with entirely chronic low back pain.

methodsA secondary analysis of data from a randomised controlled trial. Patients with chronic low back pain (n = 559) completed questionnaires at baseline and after 12 months. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between fear avoidance beliefs and the outcomes sick leave, disability and pain.

resultsHigher fear avoidance beliefs about work at baseline were found to be significantly associated with still being on sick leave (OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.02-1.20) and having no reduction in pain (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01-1.08) after 12 months and may be associated with having no reduction in disability (OR 1.03; 95% CI 1.00-1.06) after 12 months (lower limit of 95% CI close to 1.00). Fear avoidance beliefs about physical activity were not found to be associated with the three outcomes.

conclusionsHigh fear avoidance beliefs about work are associated with continuous sick leave after 1 year in patients with chronic low back pain. This finding might assist clinicians in choosing targeted treatment strategies in subgroups of working patients with chronic low back pain.

Indexed as

Avoidance LearningDisability EvaluationSick LeaveAdultChronic PainCombined Modality TherapyExerciseFearFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansLow Back PainMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesChronic low back painDisabilityFear avoidance beliefsFear Avoidance Beliefs QuestionnairePrognostic factorsSick leave

Identifiers

PMID30509231
PMCPMC6278039

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.