The association between beliefs about low back pain and work presenteeism

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Pain Management
• Psychology

Background:

• Low back pain (LBP) significantly impacts workforce productivity.
• Understanding factors contributing to presenteeism and absenteeism is crucial for economic and health management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between beliefs about low back pain (LBP) and reduced work productivity (presenteeism).
• To identify specific belief domains that predict work-related outcomes in individuals with LBP.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 2,507 individuals.
• Utilized the Back Beliefs Questionnaire and Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ).
• Assessed LBP-related work absence, productivity, pain, comorbidity, and demographics.

Main Results:

• Among 670 working-age individuals with LBP, negative beliefs were significantly associated with work absence and reduced productivity (P=0.0001).
• The FABQwork subscale emerged as a significant predictor for both absenteeism and presenteeism in multivariable analyses (P=0.0001).
• Effect sizes for FABQwork as a predictor were small, despite statistical significance.

Conclusions:

• Negative beliefs regarding low back pain correlate with increased work absence and presenteeism.
• These beliefs represent a potential target for educational interventions aimed at mitigating the socioeconomic burden of LBP.
• Further research is warranted to explore the efficacy of interventions focused on modifying pain beliefs.