Chronic back pain patients with poor sleep quality had higher pain intensity, functional limitation, and psychosocial factors than their counterparts

• Published in: Sleep and biological rhythms Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 275 - 282
• Main Authors: Correa, Leticia Amaral, Moreira, Luiza Ferreira, Bittencourt, Juliana Valentim, Nogueira, Leandro Alberto Calazans
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 01.07.2025
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Health Psychology; Human Physiology; Internal Medicine; Neurology; Neurosciences; Original Article; Psychiatry; Physical functional performance; Sleep; Pain; Sleep medicine specialty; Psychosocial impact; Low back pain
• ISSN: 1446-9235; 1479-8425
• DOI: 10.1007/s41105-025-00574-z

To compare pain characteristics, functional limitation, psychosocial factors, and sociodemographic characteristics between patients with chronic LBP reporting good or poor sleep quality. A secondary analysis of 444 patients with a current episode of chronic low back pain (CLBP). Sleep quality was measured by an item of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Pain intensity (two items from The Brief Pain Inventory, BPI), functional limitation (The Patient-Specific Functional Scale, PSFS, and BPI), and psychosocial factors (The Brief Screening Questions, BSQ) were also assessed. Features of participants with good and poor sleep quality were compared. Participants were classified as “good sleep quality” ( n  = 228) or “poor sleep quality” ( n  = 216). Those with poor sleep quality showed greater functional limitations (Good sleepers = 5.38 ± 2.54; Poor sleepers = 6.48 ± 2.35; p  < 0.01), higher pain interference with functionality (Good sleepers = 35.90 ± 23.87; Poor sleepers = 50.84 ± 26.89; p  < 0.01), and more significant psychosocial issues, such as anxiety [Good sleepers = 165 (37%); Poor sleepers = 186 (42%); p  < 0.01], and depressive symptoms [Good sleepers = 37 (8%); Poor sleepers = 73 (16%); p  < 0.01]. Chronic LBP patients with poor sleep quality significantly faced more functional limitation, increased pain interference, and a higher prevalence of psychological problems, including anxiety and depression, than those with good sleep quality. Our results emphasize the impact of poor sleep quality in clinical measures of LBP patients.