Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40082835›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Linking physical activity to workers' low back pain, back health, and theory-based psychological variables: study protocol of the workHealth intensive longitudinal observational study.

Lea O Wilhelm, Nina Lederle, Lotte-Eleonora Diering, Lara Thiel, Sabine Hahn, Antje Reschke, Greta M Steckhan, Hendrik Schmidt, Lena Fleig

Abstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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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.

Lea O WilhelmDepartment of Psychology, Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Nina LederleDepartment of Psychology, Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Lotte-Eleonora DieringDepartment of Psychology, Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Lara ThielDepartment of Psychology, Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Sabine HahnJulius Wolff Institut, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité at Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Antje ReschkeDepartment of Psychology, Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Greta M SteckhanDepartment of Psychology, Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Hendrik SchmidtJulius Wolff Institut, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité at Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Lena FleigDepartment of Psychology, Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany. lena.fleig@medicalschool-berlin.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe high prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in today's working population and its substantial impact on quality of life call for preventive and sustainable strategies. Physical activity (PA), especially during leisure-time (LTPA), has been proposed as one of the few promising, active preventive measures against the onset of LBP. This is the protocol for the prospective observational study workHealth that aims to describe the patterns of PA among workers (including back posture and movement), examine the link between PA, LBP and back health and identify theory-based psychological determinants of LTPA.

methodsThe proposed study is a longitudinal observational study taking place over 2 months with an intensive-longitudinal ecological momentary assessment (EMA) phase. A sample of 252 adults will be recruited from two working populations, sedentary workers, and manually working physiotherapists. At baseline, participants complete a self-report questionnaire and undergo an objective measurement of their back posture and mobility. At 2, 4, and 8 weeks after baseline, participants fill in the follow-up questionnaires. Starting at baseline, participants will also wear an accelerometer and will complete three daily questionnaires for the following 14 days. In addition to the main study, a sub-sample of 8 observational N-of-1 studies will have an extended EMA phase of 68 days and a data-driven exit interview. The primary outcome is moderate-to-vigorous LTPA. Data will be analyzed using regression and multi-level models. For the N-of-1 studies, a mixed-methods approach will be used including dynamic regressions. DISCUSSION: Rather than solely examining LBP from a pathological perspective, workHealth is one of the first studies to investigate psychological, behavioral and biomechanical risk factors and protective resources against LBP. The study will offer insight into theory-based, psychological determinants of LTPA and its relationship to both low back pain and back health. Between-person and within-person level analyses will provide insight on group comparisons of average effects and individual patterns of physical activity in daily life, respectively. Understanding these relationships can inform future behavioral interventions and ultimately contribute to prevention efforts against LBP and the promotion of back health.

trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register DRKS00025296|| https://drks.de/ || Registration date 28/06/2021.

Indexed as

ExerciseLow Back PainOccupational DiseasesAdultEcological Momentary AssessmentFemaleHumansLeisure ActivitiesLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedObservational Studies as TopicProspective StudiesSurveys and QuestionnairesAccelerometerBack health behavior modelBack postureFear avoidance model of painHealth action process approachLeisure-time physical activityPhysical activity-mediated demand-control modelPrevention of low back painSedentary behaviorWorkplace

Identifiers

PMID40082835
PMCPMC11907918

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.