WORKING DESPITE PAIN - FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH WORK ATTENDANCE VERSUSDYSFUNCTION

A cross-sectional investigation of psychosocial variables in 63 female employees matched for experienced pain was conducted to study the dif ference between back pain sufferers who were working (Copers) and thos e who were off work (Dysfunctional). The subjects reported moderate to severe pain often or always during the past year and were employed at the same hospital. Thirty-seven women who had not been off work for p ain made up the Copers group, whereas 26 women who had been off work f or their pain made up the Dysfunctional group. subjects were interview ed and completed a battery of questionnaires designed to penetrate lev el of dysfunction, perceived health, work and social satisfaction, per ceived workload, coping strategies, and pain beliefs. Multiple covaria te analyses that controlled for perceived workload, smoking, low-back mobility, and obesity revealed significant differences between the gro ups on levels of functioning, pain beliefs, and coping strategies used . Dysfunctional subjects had stronger beliefs that pain was directly r elated to activities, that they had little control over their pain, th at their health was poor, and that they tended to focus more on their pain. A discriminant analysis correctly classified 83% of the subjects as to work status based on six psychosocial variables. These results not only demonstrate the importance of psychosocial factors in back pa in, but underscore the fact that work absence for back pain may be con trolled by psychological factors related to beliefs and coping strateg ies. Future research may attempt to use these factors in the screening of patients.