Do lifestyle factors influence pain prognosis? A 1-year follow-up study

The aim of this observational longitudinal study was to investigate the impact of lifestyle factors on the prognosis of patients with pain.

This study was part of a large prospective longitudinal study conducted in general practice (GP). Participants completed questionnaires at baseline (T0) and one year later (T1). Outcomes analysed were the EQ-5D index, presence of pain and the ability to perform a light work for 1 hour without difficulty.

Among 377 individuals with pain at T0, 294 still reported pain at T1. This subgroup had a significantly higher BMI, more painful sites, higher pain intensity, more sleep problems, poorer general self-rated health (GSRH) and higher Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire (ÖMPSQ) score at T0 than pain-free individuals at T1. There were no differences in age, sex, physical activity and smoking. In multivariable analyses, the number of painful sites, GSRH, sleep problems, pain duration, pain intensity and 2 short-form 10-item Örebro musculoskeletal pain questionnaire (SF-ÖMPSQ) items were independently associated with at least one outcome 1 year later. Only GSRH was strongly associated with all outcomes. The accuracy of GSRH at T0 to classify participants according to dichotomous outcomes was overall moderate (0.7 < AUC <0.8).

Lifestyle factors appear to have little influence on the outcome of patients with pain in GP. Conversely, poorer GSRH - which probably integrates the subjects' perception of several factors - could be considered a negative prognostic factor in patients with pain.