The relationships between pain, disability, and health-related quality of life: an 8-year follow-up study of female home care personnel

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the development of pain conditions, disability, and health-related quality of life over an 8-year period in home care personnel. Method: In earlier studies of 607 women, we reported baseline data concerning home care personnel. This study reports the results from an 8-year follow-up using a postal questionnaire. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 87%. Prevalences of pain in upper back, lower back, and knees as well as pain intensity of the low back had decreased. Participants with the highest pain intensities of the low back at baseline had relatively lower pain intensities at follow-up. Anatomical spreading of pain was associated with higher average pain intensity. Disability had increased significantly during the time period. In the regression of disability at follow-up, average pain intensity together with disability rating index at baseline were the most important regressors; a similar pattern was found for quality of life. Conclusions: The development of disability differed from that of low-back pain intensity. Spreading of pain and pain intensity across the anatomical regions influenced disability and quality of life over 8 years. When assessing pain, it seems important to determine the spread of pain rather than just focusing on the area with intense pain.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Spreading of pain and the average intensity of pain across the involved anatomical regions have importance for future pain and disability and quality of life.

• The clinical assessment of subjects with chronic pain prior to rehabilitation interventions has to determine the spreading of pain rather than just focusing on the area with the most intense pain.

• The different developments over time for pain intensity and disability indicate the need for applying a bio-psycho-social view of pain both when assessing the patient with pain and when discussing the prognosis and course of the actual pain condition with the patient.

• Health related quality of life
• home care
• musculoskeletal
• pain
• spine
• women

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful for the valuable help of nurse Birgitta Carlsson.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no declaration of interest.