Association between recovery outcomes for work-related low back disorders and personal, family, and work factors

Study Design. Incident cases of work-related low back disorders were identi fied in an automotive metal stamping plant. Individuals were asked to recal l health and work habits at the time of diagnosis of the work-related disor der and to report their current low back pain and physical functioning. Objectives. To evaluate five measures of health out comes for work-related low back disorders in an industrial population and to determine potentially modifiable correlates of recovery. Summary of Background Data. The factors that influence recovery in actively working adults and how to best measure recovery outcome in this population are not well known. Methods. Eighty-eight hourly employees of a metal stamping plant who experi enced a work-related low back disorder were interviewed. Health status, hea lth habits, and family and work relations were assessed with a structured i nterview to determine their association with various recovery outcomes (low back pain, low back pain disability, physical functioning, general physica l health, and lost workdays). Interview information was supplemented with d ata from the plant's Occupational Safety and Health Administration Form 200 log. Results. The clinical measures of recovery from the work-related low back d isorders examined had similar overall predictive ability. However, in multi variate analyses, different potentially modifiable prognostic variables eme rged as significant among them. Poorer self-rated health status and high pe rsonal stress were correlated with low back pain disability. Higher levels of cigarette smoking were correlated with higher levels of low back pain di sability, lower physical functioning, and more severe low back pain at foll ow-up. Conclusion. The choice of measure of recovery from work-related low back di sorders should be made in the context of the rehabilitation intervention go al. Interventions designed to modify and promote healthful personal behavio r should be given more emphasis in rehabilitation efforts for work-related low back disorders.