Specific LBP , higher disability levels , older age , female gender , more social dysfunction and more social isolation , heavier work , and receiving higher compensation were identified as predictors for a longer duration of sick leave .
A history of LBP , job satisfaction , educational level , marital status , number of dependants , smoking , working more than 8 hour shifts , occupation , and size of industry or company do not influence duration of sick leave due to LBP .
Many different constructs were measured to identify psychosocial predictors of long term sick leave , which made it impossible to determine the role of these factors
BACKGROUND The percentages of patients with acute low back pain ( LBP ) that go on to a chronic state varies between studies from 2 % to 34 % .
In some of these cases low back pain leads to great costs .
AIMS To evaluate the evidence for prognostic factors for return to work among workers sick listed with acute LBP .
Listening to injured workers: how recovery expectations predict outcomes--a prospective study.
BACKGROUND Rigorous evidence on factors affecting the prognosis of work-related soft-tissue injuries remains limited . Although shown to be important for a wide variety of clinical conditions , recovery expectations have rarely been assessed as prognostic factors for workers with soft-tissue injuries . We examined the predictive role of various measures of recovery expectations among workers with injuries result ing in time off work . METHODS We identified a prospect i ve cohort of 1566 injured workers shortly after they filed a cl aim for their injury with the Ontario Workers ' Compensation Board ( OWCB ) . They had soft-tissue injuries to the back or upper or lower extremities , had new , lost-time cl aims from May to November 1993 and were still off work at the time of the first interview . We interviewed participants by telephone within 3 weeks after the injury and measured their recovery expectations ( perceptions regarding progress , expected change in condition , expected time until return to usual activities  and  expectations regarding return to usual job ) along with other , potentially important prognostic factors . The primary outcome was total time receiving 100 % wage-replacement benefits during the year following injury , obtained from OWCB administrative files . Self-reported measures of pain , health-related quality of life and functional status , obtained up to 4 times during the year following injury , were both independent predictors and secondary outcomes . RESULTS The 4 measures of recovery expectations together explained one-sixth of the variation in time receiving benefits . All but expectations regarding return to usual job were individually predictive of time receiving benefits . Judging one 's recovery as much better than expected result ed in a 30 % ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] 9%-46 % ) faster rate of stopping receiving benefits ( and likely returning to work ) compared with judging one 's recovery as much worse than expected . Similarly , participants who expected to return to usual activities within 3 weeks had a 37 % ( 95 % CI 26%-47 % ) faster rate of stopping receiving benefits than those who responded " Do n't know " to this question , and participants who stated that they were fully recovered or would get better soon had a 25 % ( CI 5%-40 % ) faster rate than those who thought they would never get or stay better . Positive recovery expectations were also associated with reductions in pain grade and improvement in functional status outcomes . INTERPRETATION Expectations regarding recovery may provide useful information on the complex process of recovering from work-related soft-tissue injuries . For clinicians , patients ' negative or uncertain expectations may indicate the need for further probing and intervention on psychosocial factors to facilitate recovery
Specific LBP , higher disability levels , older age , female gender , more social dysfunction and more social isolation , heavier work , and receiving higher compensation were identified as predictors for a longer duration of sick leave .
A history of LBP , job satisfaction , educational level , marital status , number of dependants , smoking , working more than 8 hour shifts , occupation , and size of industry or company do not influence duration of sick leave due to LBP .
Many different constructs were measured to identify psychosocial predictors of long term sick leave , which made it impossible to determine the role of these factors
BACKGROUND The percentages of patients with acute low back pain ( LBP ) that go on to a chronic state varies between studies from 2 % to 34 % .
In some of these cases low back pain leads to great costs .
AIMS To evaluate the evidence for prognostic factors for return to work among workers sick listed with acute LBP .