Skip to main content

Table 3 Back pain advice and pharmacists' experience of back pain

From: Do community pharmacists have the attitudes and knowledge to support evidence based self-management of low back pain?

  

Number (%)

Statement

Pain*

Agree

Disagree

I often have negative feelings about advising people with back pain+

None

20 (21.5)

73 (78.5)

(n = 328) χ2 = 6.4 df = 2 p = 0.040

Short

27 (13.8)

168 (86.2)

 

Long

2 (5.0)

38 (95.0)

 

Total

49 (14.9)

279 (85.1)

I most frequently refer people with back pain to their GP

None

31 (34.1)

60 (65.9)

(n = 321) χ2 = 4.7 df = 2 p = 0.094

Short

46 (24.1)

145 (75.9)

 

Long

7 (17.9)

32 (82.1)

 

Total

84 (26.2)

237 (73.8)

Back pain is an important topic where I work

None

23 (25.3)

68 (74.7)

(n = 319) χ2 = 17.8 df = 2 p = 0.000

Short

68 (36.0)

121 (64.0)

 

Long

25 (64.1)

14 (35.9)

 

Total

116 (36.4)

203 (63.6)

Where I work people often ask for advice about back pain

None

41 (45.6)

49 (54.4)

(n = 323) χ2 = 8.3 df = 2 p = 0.015

Short

98 (50.8)

95 (49.2)

 

Long

29 (72.5)

11 (27.5)

 

Total

168 (52.0)

155 (48.0)

I offer good advice about back pain

None

66 (79.5)

17 (20.5)

(n = 304) χ2 = 5.6 df = 2 p = 0.060

Short

163 (89.1)

20 (10.9)

 

Long

35 (92.1)

3 (7.9)

 

Total

264 (86.8)

40 (13.2)

My support staff offer good advice about back pain

None

55 (67.1)

27 (32.9)

(n = 298) χ2 = 4.2 df = 2 p = 0.122

Short

138 (77.1)

41 (22.9)

 

Long

24 (64.9)

13 (35.1)

 

Total

217 (72.8)

81 (27.2)

  1. *Personal experience of back pain: none; short term or long-standing.
  2. +Similar to Buchbinder [13]: 'advising people with back pain' replaces 'treating these people'.