Neuromuscular exercise reduces low back pain intensity and improves physical functioning in nursing duties among female healthcare workers; secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial

Table 2 Background characteristics of the participants by the study group

	Pilates-type NME group (n = 110)		Controls (no-exercise) (n = 109)		Missing	p-value
	%	Mean (SD)	%	Mean (SD)
Age, years		46.2 (6.8]		46.6 (6.8)		0.69
BMI		27.0 [4.7)		25.8 [4.0]	2	0.05
Smoking						0.60
daily	15.5		17.4
occasionally	10.0		13.8
non-smoker	74.5		68.8
Civil status: married/cohabiting	60.9		68.8			0.22
Education: secondary school or less	27.5		26.9		2	0.50
Occupation						0.31
nurse	51.0		42.0
nursing assistant	39.0		42.0
other (PT, midwife, radiographer)	10.0		16.0
Number of working years		11.9 [9.2)		10.7 [8.1)	2	0.25
Working times					1	0.66
Regular work	32.0		29.0
shift work	68.0		71.0
Perceived health					1	0.31
average or below average	41.0		34.0
better or much better than average	59.0		66.0
Perceived fitness in comparison to persons of the same age and gender					1	0.71
lower or much lower	29.0		27.0
similar	47.0		53.0
higher or much higher	24.0		20.0
Number of musculoskeletal pain sites		3.3 (1.2)		3.1 (1.4)		0.31
Depression; PHQ-9 (0–27)		7.9 [4.9)		7.0 (4.3)	1	0.14
High blood pressure: yes	15.5		12.0			0.46
Current use of medication: yes	52.7		57.9			0.44

BMI body mass index, NME neuromuscular exercise, PHQ-9 modified Finnish version of the Patient Health Questionnaire, 9 items measuring depressive symptoms [69]

ISSN: 1471-2474