A life-long prospective study on the role of psychosocial factors in neck-shoulder and low-back pain

The predictive value of psychosocial factors in the development of neck--shoulder and low-back symptoms was investigated in a life-long follow-up study of 154 subjects. Measurements taken in adolescence, such as intelligence, alexithymia (low verbal productivity in projective personality tests), soc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSpine (Philadelphia, Pa. 1976) Vol. 16; no. 9; p. 1056
Main Authors Viikari-Juntura, E, Vuori, J, Silverstein, B A, Kalimo, R, Kuosma, E, Videman, T
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.09.1991
Subjects
Adult
Back Pain - epidemiology
Back Pain - psychology
Female
Finland - epidemiology
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Neck
Pain - epidemiology
Pain - psychology
Prospective Studies
Regression Analysis
Shoulder
Socioeconomic Factors
Stress, Psychological - complications
Finland
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Summary:The predictive value of psychosocial factors in the development of neck--shoulder and low-back symptoms was investigated in a life-long follow-up study of 154 subjects. Measurements taken in adolescence, such as intelligence, alexithymia (low verbal productivity in projective personality tests), social confidence, hobbies, and the socioeconomic status of the family, showed no consistent associations with neck--shoulder or low-back symptoms in adulthood. Of the variables recorded in adulthood, weak mental resources for promoting health (poor sense of coherence) were consistently associated with neck--shoulder pain, whereas low fundamental education predicted low-back symptoms. The results suggest that psychosocial factors in childhood have a minor role as direct predictors of later symptoms.
ISSN:0362-2436
DOI:10.1097/00007632-199109000-00008