Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39103730›Full record

ArticleJournal of occupational rehabilitation2025

Work-Related Fear-Avoidance Beliefs and Risk of Low-Back Pain: Prospective Cohort Study Among Healthcare Workers.

Markus Due Jakobsen, Jonas Vinstrup, Lars Louis Andersen

Abstract read
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.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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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. Temporal relationships between distress and pain in people living with HIV.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026
    Article
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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

3 authors.

Markus Due JakobsenNational Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, Copenhagen, Denmark. mdj@nfa.dk.
Jonas VinstrupNational Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Lars Louis AndersenNational Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Funding

Arbejdstilsynet,Denmark 26-2015-09
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeLow-back pain (LBP) is a prevalent condition among healthcare workers, negatively affecting well-being and work ability. Research has identified fear-avoidance beliefs, i.e., the belief that physical activities worsen or prolong pain, as a key psychological factor in LBP. Given the physical demands of healthcare work, understanding the link between fear-avoidance and LBP is crucial for effective prevention and management strategies. This study investigated the prospective association between fear-avoidance beliefs and risk of increased LBP intensity and duration in hospital workers.

methodsFear-avoidance beliefs and LBP were assessed in 1933 healthcare workers from 389 departments at 19 hospitals at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Associations between baseline work-related fear-avoidance beliefs (FABW) and LBP intensity and duration at follow-up were analyzed using cumulative logistic regression, adjusting for various factors including age, sex, baseline LBP, education, seniority, patient transfers, psychosocial work environment, and lifestyle.

resultsModerate and high FABW was associated with higher odds of increased pain intensity (OR: 1.37 [95% CI 1.09-1.73] and 1.85 [95% CI 1.18-2.88], respectively) and prolonged pain duration (OR: 1.37 [95% CI 1.05-1.78] and 2.27 [95% CI 1.50-3.44], respectively). A sensitivity analysis including only female nurses showed similar results, with the high FABW group having significantly higher odds of increased pain intensity (OR 2.95, 95% CI 1.84-4.72) and duration (OR 2.64, 95% CI 1.55-4.49).

conclusionsFear-avoidance beliefs increase the risk of LBP intensity and duration among healthcare workers, emphasizing the need for interventions dealing with psychological aspects of LBP.

Indexed as

Avoidance LearningFearHealth PersonnelLow Back PainOccupational DiseasesAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRisk FactorsSurveys and QuestionnairesCatastrophizingFear avoidanceMusculoskeletal painNursingOccupational healthPain management

Identifiers

PMID39103730
PMCPMC12361326

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.