• Krzysztof Basiński, Agata Zdun-Ryżewska, and Mikołaj Majkowicz.
• Department of Quality of Life Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland. Electronic address: k.basinski@gumed.edu.pl.
• Am J Emerg Med. 2022 Jan 1; 51: 85-91.

ObjectivesChronic low back pain is an important public health problem, generating high financial and social costs. While most clinical guidelines stress the importance of managing low back pain in primary care, in practice a disproportionate amount of patients with low back pain present to emergency departments. Patients presenting to emergency departments may form a specific group with different factors leading to chronicity. This prospective cohort study aimed to determine the sociodemographic and psychological predictors of persistent low back pain and the length of sick leave due to pain in patients with acute symptoms visiting an emergency department.MethodsPatients with a first episode of non-specific acute low back pain in at least three months were qualified for this study. The participants filled a battery of questionnaires, including measures of pain, pain-related disability, depression, anxiety and pain coping strategies. A structured telephone interview was performed after three months with questions regarding pain and the length of sick leave.Results110 patients participated in the study. 97 patients completed the follow-up, with 70.1% suffering from pain after three months. Lower self-rated health predicted pain after three months. Longer length of sick leave was predicted by lower self-rated health, distraction as a coping strategy and decreased behavioral activity.ConclusionBecause of its simplicity, a measurement of self-rated health may be included in future clinical practice for assessing the risk of persistent pain.Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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