Table 2 Comparisons between the health care practitioner first consulted for back pain by women across measures of back pain frequency, back pain intensity and SF-36 dimensions of quality of life

% (95 % C.I.)

% (95 % C.I.)

% (95 % C.I.)

% (95 % C.I.)

% (95 % C.I.)

 Continuous back pain (% yes)^{a, b, c, d}

22 (19, 26)

7 (4, 10)

11 (4, 17)

9 (1, 17)

11 (5, 17)

<0.001

Mean (95 % C.I.)

Mean (95 % C.I.)

Mean (95 % C.I.)

Mean (95 % C.I.)

Mean (95 % C.I.)

 Intensity of typical back pain^{a, b, c, d}

5.8 (5.6, 5.9)

4.7 (4.4, 4.9)

4.6 (4.2, 5.0)

4.4 (3.9, 4.9)

5.2 (4.9 5.5)

<0.001

 Intensity of worst back pain^{a, b, c}

7.7 (7.5, 7.8)

6.8 (6.5, 7.0)

6.6 (6.0, 7.1)

6.5 (5.9, 7.1)

7.2 (6.8, 7.6)

<0.001

 General health^{a, b, c, d}

56.9 (55.1, 58.7)

67.5 (64.8, 70.1)

69.4 (65.4, 73.5)

70.7 (65.3, 76.1)

63.7 (59.8, 67.6)

<0.001

 Bodily pain^{a, b, c, d}

45.1 (43.4, 46.8)

57.4 (54.7, 60.2)

56.1 (51.8, 60.5)

61.3 (55.3, 67.3)

52.6 (48.8, 56.3)

<0.001

 Physical functioning^{a, b, c, d}

59.3 (57.2, 61.3)

72.7 (69.7, 75.6)

71.9 (67.2, 76.6)

78.2 (73.5, 82.8)

68.5 (64.3, 72.7)

<0.001

 Role physical^{a, b, c}

42.2 (38.8, 45.5)

62.3 (56.9, 67.7)

63.4 (54.5, 72.2)

69.1 (58.5, 79.7)

53.6 (45.6, 61.6)

<0.001

 Mental health^{a, c}

70.3 (68.8, 71.9)

74.9 (72.7, 77.1)

74.8 (71.3, 78.4)

77.0 (72.9, 81.1)

73.7 (70.5, 76.9)

0.002

 Role emotional^{a, b, c}

68.0 (64.6, 71.3)

79.0 (74.4, 83.6)

84.1 (77.3, 90.9)

93.3 (87.9, 98.8)

76.6 (69.6, 83.6)

<0.001

 Vitality^{a, b}

48.0 (46.3, 49.8)

55.5 (52.9, 58.2)

57.6 (53.5, 61.7)

55.8 (50.0, 61.5)

52.2 (48.1, 56.4)

<0.001

 Social functioning^{a, b, c}

69.1 (66.8, 71.3)

80.3 (77.2, 83.5)

84.3 (80.0, 88.6)

81.1 (75.1, 87.2)

75.4 (70.5, 80.4)

<0.001