Life events and the risk of low back and neck/shoulder pain of the kind people are seeking care for: results from the MUSIC-Norrtalje case-control study

Abstract Background: Chronic low back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders in different countries that people of any age can experience many times. This study aimed to predict the chronicity of non-specific acute and sub-acute LBP and related risk factors among cases referred to physiotherapy clinics.Methods: This case-control study was performed among 420 patients suffered from acute, sub-acute and chronic LBP referred to two physiotherapy centers in Tehran-Iran in 2020. Data were obtained using the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Pain Catastrophic Scale (PCS-13), Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK-11), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Walker's Health-Promoting Lifestyle Questionnaire, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) and Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Data analysis was performed by applying independent sample t-test, chi-square, and multiple logistic regression in SPSS software version 25. IBM Amos version 22 was employed for path analysis.Results: The mean age and body mass index in all patients were 43.94 ± 6.72 years and 25.69 ± 3.54 kg.m-2, respectively. It was found that some demographic parameters (i.e. weight, BMI, job, type of occupational task performance, history of low back pain, work shift, underlying diseases and income), some cognitive parameters ( i.e. fear-avoidance beliefs, kinesiophobia, catastrophic pain, and depression), some lifestyle parameters (i.e. health responsibility, physical activity and interpersonal relationships), sleep quality and pain related disability were among the most critical risk factors in the chronicity of acute and sub-acute LBP (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Personal, psychological, and psychosocial parameters can be among the most critical predictors in the chronicity of acute and sub-acute non-specific LBP. Hence, paying attention to all the mentioned factors at the beginning of patients' treatment to create a targeted treatment algorithm and prevent the conversion of acute and sub-acute into chronic LBP has particular importance.

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Major Stressful Life Events and Risk of Developing Lung Cancer: A Case-Control Study

Clinical Medicine Insights Oncology ◽

10.1177/1179554919835798 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

pp. 117955491983579 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Syed H Jafri ◽

Faisal Ali ◽

Arash Mollaeian ◽

Syed Mojiz Hasan ◽

Rahat Hussain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Life Events ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Stressful Life Event ◽

Case Control ◽

Stressful Life ◽

Prior History ◽

Life Event ◽

Control Study

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality and is strongly linked with smoking. We sought to determine whether major stressful life events (e.g. divorce) are also a risk factor for developing lung cancers. Methods: We performed a matched case-control study. Cases (CA) were lung cancer patients diagnosed within the previous 12 months. Controls (CO) were patients without a prior history of malignancy. Data on major stressful life events were collected using the modified Holmes-Rahe stress scale. The primary endpoint was the odds of having a major stressful life event between CA and CO. A sample of 360 patients (CA = 120, CO = 240) was needed to achieve 80% power to detect an odds ratio (OR) of 2.00 versus the alternative of equal odds using χ2 = 0.05. Results: Between May 2015 and December 2016, we enrolled 301 patients (CA = 102, CO = 199), matched for median age (CA = 64.4 years, CO = 63.9 years), sex (CA-Male = 48%, CO-Male = 49.2%), and smoking status (ever smoker, CA = 84%, CO = 85%). There was no difference in lifetime stressful life event rate between CA and CO (95% vs 93.9%; P = .68). However, CA were significantly more likely to have had a stressful event within the preceding 5 years than CO (CA = 77.4% vs CO = 65.8%; P = .03, OR = 1.78). β-blocker use was significantly higher among CO (CA = 29.4%, CO = 49.7%; P = .0007, OR = 0.42), suggesting a protective effect. Conclusion: Patients with lung cancer are significantly more likely to have had a major stressful life event within the preceding 5 years. In addition, use of β-blockers may be protective against lung cancer.

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