Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38963652›Full record

ArticleJournal of occupational rehabilitation2025

Musculoskeletal Health and Work: Development and Internal-External Cross-Validation of a Model to Predict Risk of Work Absence and Presenteeism in People Seeking Primary Healthcare.

Lucinda Archer, George Peat, Kym I E Snell, Jonathan C Hill, Kate M Dunn, Nadine E Foster, Annette Bishop, Danielle van der Windt, Gwenllian Wynne-Jones

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of occupational rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
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.

Lucinda ArcherSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2504-2613
George PeatSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9008-0184
Kym I E SnellInstitute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9373-6591
Jonathan C HillSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.
Kate M DunnSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6202-2606
Nadine E FosterSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4429-9756
Annette BishopSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9810-7994
Danielle van der WindtSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7248-6703
Gwenllian Wynne-JonesSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK. g.wynne-jones@keele.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0283-6632

Funding

Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grant #2018182Medical Research Council and Versus Arthritis 22090
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo develop and validate prediction models for the risk of future work absence and level of presenteeism, in adults seeking primary healthcare with musculoskeletal disorders (MSD).

methodsSix studies from the West-Midlands/Northwest regions of England, recruiting adults consulting primary care with MSD were included for model development and internal-external cross-validation (IECV). The primary outcome was any work absence within 6 months of their consultation. Secondary outcomes included 6-month presenteeism and 12-month work absence. Ten candidate predictors were included: age; sex; multisite pain; baseline pain score; pain duration; job type; anxiety/depression; comorbidities; absence in the previous 6 months; and baseline presenteeism.

resultsFor the 6-month absence model, 2179 participants (215 absences) were available across five studies. Calibration was promising, although varied across studies, with a pooled calibration slope of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.41-1.46) on IECV. On average, the model discriminated well between those with work absence within 6 months, and those without (IECV-pooled C-statistic 0.76, 95% CI: 0.66-0.86). The 6-month presenteeism model, while well calibrated on average, showed some individual-level variation in predictive accuracy, and the 12-month absence model was poorly calibrated due to the small available size for model development.

conclusionsThe developed models predict 6-month work absence and presenteeism with reasonable accuracy, on average, in adults consulting with MSD. The model to predict 12-month absence was poorly calibrated and is not yet ready for use in practice. This information may support shared decision-making and targeting occupational health interventions at those with a higher risk of absence or presenteeism in the 6 months following consultation. Further external validation is needed before the models' use can be recommended or their impact on patients can be fully assessed.

Indexed as

AbsenteeismMusculoskeletal DiseasesPresenteeismPrimary Health CareAdultEnglandFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRisk AssessmentSick LeaveMusculoskeletal painPrimary carePrognosisPrognostic modelWork absence

Identifiers

PMID38963652
PMCPMC12360984

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Registered trials

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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.