Baseline variable construct | Description/examples of potential measures |
---|---|
Individual subject characteristics | |
Age | Current age |
Sex | Male, female |
Body mass index (BMI) or height and weight | BMI or measured height and individual weight |
Lifestyle factors | |
Recreational participation | Participation in sports activities or hobbies |
Physical fitness | Physical fitness level |
Smoking | Smoking habits |
Alcohol consumption | Amount/frequency of drinking, how often drunk |
Coffee consumption | Coffee consumed per day |
Sociodemographic characteristics | |
Socio-economic status | Education status, income |
Work characteristics | Employed, occupation |
Social support | Marital status |
Overall health | |
General health status | Perceived or self-rated health, general health question or Short Form-12, perceived energy level |
Comorbidities | Presence and type of co-morbidities (for example, musculoskeletal pain other than LBP, respiratory or stomach problems, migraines, multiple pain sites) |
Previous injuries | Previous sick leave (any cause or other than LBP), or accident |
Receipt of compensation or litigation | |
Worker’s compensation; time off work; sick leave; benefits; pension | Receipt of worker’s compensation, duration of time off work, sick leave due to LBP, benefits paid, pension application applied for or intending to apply for |
Attribution for LBP | Litigation, culpability for injury, job that caused pain, description of injury event |
Previous low back pain (before the current episode) | |
Previous history of LBP | Report of prior LBP |
 | Previous LBP treatment received (for example, injections, inpatient treatment, surgery) |
 | Prior claim for LBP, LBP sick leave, worker’s compensation injury |
 | Hospitalization due to LBP, previous lumbar spine radiography |
Characteristics of the current LBP episode | |
Pain onset | Onset of injury (for example, sudden or gradual), injury event or none |
Duration of complaint | LBP duration, time between injury and filing claim |
Baseline LBP symptoms | |
Pain severity | Injury severity rating, presence of disabling pain, visual analogue scale, presence of pain at night, NRS; McGill scale |
Functional limitations | Disability score (for example, RMDQ, Oswestry), assessment of functioning in leisure time |
Change in symptoms | Symptoms getting worse or better |
Baseline physical examination findings | |
Range of motion (ROM) | Change in ROM |
Pain pattern (centralization) | Pain pattern/directional preference according to McKenzie method |
Other examination findings | Summed physical exam, SLR, muscle palpation, gait, posture, walk test, ‘catch’, Waddell symptoms |
Baseline neurological findings | |
Localization; nerve root; radiculopathy; pain on coughing | Localization of pain to low back only, presence of nerve root signs/symptoms, clinical impression of radiculopathy with SLR, pain on coughing |
Subject psychological status | |
Depression | Rating scale of ‘feeling blue’, Beck Depression Inventory, GHQ depression scale, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale |
Other psychological diagnoses | For example, hysteria, somatic symptoms, hypochondriasis |
Other psychological characteristics and behaviors | For example, self-esteem, pain behaviors, denial, state of anxiety, sleep problems, locus of control, fear avoidance beliefs, personality measures, active/passive coping mechanisms |
LBP diagnosis received | |
Diagnostic categories | Specific diagnostic categories (for example, sprain/strain, disc herniation) |
Understanding of symptoms | Patient’s understanding and accuracy of their symptoms |
Subject expectations of recovery | |
Subjective work ability | Subjective work capacity in relation to complaint |
Perceived ability to do job | Perceptions regarding ability to do job, expectations with injury |
Psychosocial capacity to RTW | Psychosocial capacity to RTW, Worker Role Interview |
Intent/expectations to RTW | Intent/expectations to return to job |
Other baseline/LBP episode characteristics |