SELF-RATED DISABILITY AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION SHOULD BE MEASURED SEPERATELY IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN

Abstract

Aims: To establish whether self rated disability and physical function in people with Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) are correlated.

Design/Methods: The study was observational/correlational in design. One hundred patients attending orthopaedic surgical clinics or for physiotherapy at the Northern General Hospital (NGH) site of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (STH) were recruited for the study. Once consent was obtained patients were asked to complete the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and undertake the Harding battery of physical performance.

Results: The Pearson product moment correlation coefficients were calculated for the group using SPSS v.13. The results show low negative correlations for the whole group with low to moderate negative correlations for the male group. There were no statistically significant correlations for the physical performance measures and ODI in the female sub-group.

Pearson correlation Co-efficient results for all participant

Conclusions: The lack of correlation between self-rated disability and physical performance suggests that the two constructs are un-related and as such should be measured separately. There were significant differences between the physical performance parameters between genders. This enhances the findings of previous studies which, together with this study suggest that the level of physical performance should not be extrapolated from self-rated disability questionnaires.

Ethics Approval: The study was approved by the North Sheffield ethics committee (ref: 07/H1308/120) and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (ref: STH 14280)

Statement of interest: None