From: Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2010 Jun 8. [Epub ahead of print]
This was a cross-sectional study of population based traffic cohort to determine which factors are associated with both positive and negative expectations for returning to work after vehicle collision resulting in neck pain. Positive expectations predict better outcomes for a variety of health conditions, including return to work from soft-tissue injury (including whiplash associated disorders. However, we know little about those with negative expectations who may be at risk for poor whiplash associated disorder outcomes.
The authors assessed expectations for return to work in a population-based cohort of 2335 individuals with traffic related whiplash associated disorder. They used logistic regression analysis to model factors associated with expecting to return to work (compared with not expecting to return to work or being unsure).
Depressive symptomatology, lower education, lower income, male sex, and greater initial pain (greater percentage of body in pain and greater intensity of neck pain) were associated with lower return to work expectation. A number of demographic, socioeconomic, and injury-related factors were associated with expectations for return to work in whiplash associated disorder. Two of the strongest associated factors were depressive symptomatology and postcollision initial neck pain intensity. These results support using a biopsychosocial approach to evaluate expectancies and their influence on important health outcomes.
This confirms an earlier study in J Rehabil Med. 2010 Jan;42(1):66-73. Factors associated with recovery expectations following vehicle collision: a population-based study. It was concluded, “A number of demographic, socioeconomic and injury-related factors were associated with expectations for recovery in whiplash associated disorders. Two of the strongest associated factors were depressive symptomatology and initial neck pain intensity. These results support using a biopsychosocial approach to evaluate expectancies and their influence on important health outcomes.” This study found depressive symptomatology, lower education, lower income, male gender, younger age, being a passenger in the vehicle, history of neck pain, and greater initial pain (greater percentage of body in pain, greater intensity of neck pain and presence of low back and/or headache pain) were associated with poor expectations for recovery.
