ISOKINETIC PERFORMANCE IN LOW-BACK-PAIN PATIENTS - THE PREDICTIVE POWER OF THE SELF-EFFICACY SCALE

The Self-Efficacy Scale (SES) has been found to predict isokinetic per formance better than anthropometric variables. This study tests the pr edictive power of SES further against other measures of efficacy expec tancies as well as measures of depression and perceived disability. A group of 105 chronic back pain patients was administered Beck's Depres sion Inventory (BDI), SES, the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) , and the Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire (OSWESTRY). Total isokinetic work done was measured at slow, medium and high speed s, for which multiple regression models were fitted controlling for ss r, age, weight and height. The results confirmed SES to be the best ov erall predictor of isokinetic performance. BDI was not significant as a predictor of isokinetic performance. The models also revealed that S ES predicts less well with increases in the test speed, particularly i n extension. These results provide further evidence of the diagnostic value of SES relative to OSWESTRY and PSEQ.