Table 1
Baseline characteristics of study participants in the control (n = 3) and intervention (n = 3) clinics
| Characteristic | Control (n = 945) | Intervention (N = 756) |
|---|---|---|
| Sex (female, No. (%)) | 512 (54.2) | 441 (58.3) |
| Age (mean (SD), year) | 55 (17.3) | 58 (18.4) |
| 18–39 (No. (%)) | 215 (22.7) | 160 (21.1) |
| 40–59 (No. (%)) | 310 (32.8) | 204 (26.9) |
| 60+ (No. (%)) | 420 (44.4) | 392 (51.8) |
| Education | ||
| High school or less (No. (%)) | 143 (15.1) | 105 (13.9) |
| Some college (No. (%)) | 303 (32.1) | 231 (30.6) |
| College/post-graduate (No. (%)) | 498 (52.8) | 418 (55.4) |
| Income* | ||
| < $35 K (No. (%)) | 161 (18.3) | 141 (20.2) |
| $45–55 K (No. (%)) | 203 (23.1) | 186 (26.6) |
| $55–85 K (No. (%)) | 216 (24.6) | 149 (21.3) |
| $85 K+ (No. (%)) | 298 (33.9) | 223 (31.9) |
| Employed (No. (%) | 557 (58.9) | 417 (55.2) |
| White (No. (%))* | 743 (79.9) | 582 (78.0) |
| Hispanic (No. (%))* | 53 (5.8) | 40 (5.5) |
| Back-related function (RMDQ; 0–23 scales) mean (SD)† | 11.8 (6.3) | 11.8 (6.1) |
| Back pain severity (0–10 scales; mean (SD))‡ | 5.4 (2.5) | 5.5 (2.5) |
| STarT back risk group | ||
| Low (No. (%)) | 392 (41.5) | 305 (40.3) |
| Medium (No. (%)) | 348 (36.8) | 286 (37.8) |
| High (No. (%)) | 205 (21.7) | 165 (21.8) |
| Duration of current episode of LBP§ | ||
| < 3 months (%) | 186 (56,4) | 153 (56.0) |
| 3–12 months (%) | 58 (17.6) | 47 (17.2) |
| 12 months (%) | 86 (26.0) | 73 (26.7) |
| Hrs. of work missed past week due to LBP (mean (SD)) | 4.4 (10.4) | 3.6 (8.9) |
| Effect of LBP on work in past week (0–10; mean (SD)) | 3.0 (2.9) | 3.0 (2.7) |
| Leg pain in leg (No. (%)) | 457 (48.4) | 360 (47.7) |
| Anxiety (GAD-7; mean (SD)) | 4.2 (4.6) | 4.4 (4.6) |
| Depression (PHQ-8; mean (SD)) | 6.1 (5.4) | 6.2 (5.3) |
| Self-efficacy (PSEQ; mean (SD)) | 44.4 (13.3) | 45.0 (12.7) |
| Fear of movement (TKS; mean (SD)) | 39.7 (10.1) | 39.4 (10.3) |
| Used medications for back pain in past week (No. (%)) | 735 (77.8) | 570 (75.5) |
| Used narcotics for back pain in past week (No. (%)) | 104 (31.5) | 76 (27.8) |
*Missing data: income and pain duration (7%), race and Hispanic (3%), and hours of work missed (1%). All other variables had < 1% missing
†Higher scores indicate greater dysfunction
‡Higher scores indicate greater pain severity
§Pain duration was measured only during the pre-implementation period, resulting in smaller sample sizes than for the other measures