Skip to main content

Table 1 Selected characteristics of patients and physiotherapists

From: Does patient-physiotherapist agreement influence the outcome of low back pain? A prospective cohort study

Variable

n (%)

or

mean (SD)

1) Patients (n = 78)

   

Gender

   

   Men

38 (48.7)

  

   Women

40 (51.3)

  

Age (years; range: 24.2 – 73.0)

  

47.5 (10.6)

Marital status

   

   Never married

12 (15.4)

  

   Married or living as married

62 (79.5)

  

   Divorced/Separated/Widowed

4 (5.1)

  

Current occupation

   

   Off work for health reasons

8 (10.3)

  

   Full/Part-time work

50 (64.1)

  

   Does not work/Retired

17 (21.8)

  

   Student/Other

3 (3.8)

  

Highest level of education (part or complete)

   

   Primary school

1 (1.3)

  

   Junior/High school

15 (19.2)

  

   Junior College

21 (26.9)

  

   University

41 (52.6)

  

Current financial compensation

   

   Yes

13 (16.7)

  

   No

65 (83.3)

  

Previous low back pain

   

   Yes

63 (80.8)

  

   No

15 (19.2)

  

Previous physiotherapy treatment for low back pain

   

   Yes

37 (47.4)

  

   No

41 (52.6)

  

Previous treatment at participating clinic

   

   Yes

43 (55.1)

  

   No

35 (44.9)

  

Previous treatment with same physiotherapist

   

   Yes

13 (16.7)

  

   No

65 (83.3)

  

Physiotherapist was referred to patient by a third party

   

   Yes

22 (28.2)

  

   No

56 (71.8)

  

Pain duration (days; range: 1.0 – 90.0)

  

22.0 (23.7)

Phase of pain

   

   Acute (0 – 4 weeks)

59 (75.6)

  

   Sub-acute (4 – 12 weeks)

19 (24.4)

  

Pain location

   

   Back only/Back and buttocks

46 (59.0)

  

   Back and leg, above the knee

8 (10.3)

  

   Back and leg, below the knee

15 (19.2)

  

   Leg or buttocks only

9 (11.5)

  

Psychological distress (%; range: 0.0 – 50.0)

  

12.5 (10.5)

2) Physiotherapists (n = 9)

   

Gender

   

   Men

4 (44.4)

  

   Women

5 (55.6)

  

Age (years; range: 23.2 – 50.1)

  

33.2 (9.4)

Marital status

   

   Never married

4 (44.4)

  

   Married or living as married

5 (55.6)

  

Personal experience of low back pain

   

   Yes

8 (88.9)

  

   No

1 (11.1)

  

Professional experience (years; range: 0.0 – 22.2)

  

8.6 (7.6)

Proportion of patients with low back pain in daily practice (%; range: 30.0 – 50.0)

  

38.9 (8.2)