Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33348794›Full record

Trial reportInternational journal of environmental research and public health2020

The Effect of Physiotherapy Group Intervention in Reducing Pain Disorders and Mental Health Symptoms among Syrian Refugees: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Wegdan Hasha, Jannicke Igland, Lars T Fadnes, Bernadette Kumar, Jasmin Haj-Younes, Elisabeth Marie Strømme, Eirin Zerwekh Norstein, Rolf Vårdal, Esperanza Diaz

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 20% 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

10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Wegdan HashaDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 17, 5020 Bergen, Norway.ORCID 0000-0002-5236-3669
Jannicke IglandDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 17, 5020 Bergen, Norway.
Lars T FadnesDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 17, 5020 Bergen, Norway.
Bernadette KumarNorwegian Institute of Public Health, Unit for Migration and Health, 222 Skøyen, 0213 Oslo, Norway.
Jasmin Haj-YounesDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 17, 5020 Bergen, Norway.
Elisabeth Marie StrømmeDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 17, 5020 Bergen, Norway.ORCID 0000-0001-7965-7125
Eirin Zerwekh NorsteinOsloMet-Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, P.O. Box 4, St. Olavsplass N, 0130 Oslo, Norway.
Rolf VårdalCenter for Migration Health, Solheimsgaten 9, 5058 Bergen, Norway.
Esperanza DiazDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 17, 5020 Bergen, Norway.
University of Bergen · NONorwegian Institute of Public Health · NOHaukeland University Hospital · NOOsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Chronic pain is common among refugees, and often related to mental health problems. Its management, however, is often challenging. A randomized waitlist-controlled trial was designed to study the effect of group physiotherapy activity and awareness intervention (PAAI) on reducing pain disorders, and secondarily improving mental health, among Syrian refugees. A total of 101 adult Syrian refugees suffering from chronic pain were randomized to either the intervention group or the control group, which thereafter also received PAAI after a waiting period. Pain intensity measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) was the primary outcome. Scores from the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R 22) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were secondary outcomes. Intention-to-treat analyses (ITT) showed no effect of the intervention on either pain levels (regression coefficient [B {95% CI} of 0.03 {-0.91, 0.96}], IESR scores [4.8 {-3.7, 13.4}] or GHQ-12 scores [-0.4 {-3.1, 2.3}]). Yet, participants highly appreciated the intervention. Despite the negative findings, our study contributes to the evidence base necessary to plan targeted and effective health care services for refugees suffering from chronic pain and highlights the challenge of evaluating complex interventions adapted to a specific group.

Indexed as

Physical Therapy ModalitiesRefugeesStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticAdultHumansMental DisordersMental HealthSomatoform DisordersSurveys and QuestionnairesSyriaTreatment Outcomegroup interventionmental healthpainrandomized controlled trialSyrian refugees

Identifiers

PMID33348794
PMCPMC7767069
OpenAlexW3110924954

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.