Evaluation of gender differences in exercise adherence for low back pain: case reviews and survey

Abstract

Article purpose: This study has aims to determine if men have a higher adherence to physiotherapy exercises for low back pain (LBP) than women or vice versa; and the factors prohibiting a patient’s adherence to exercises and how these differ between men and women.

Material and methods: Two methods that included patients’ exercise journal and questionnaire survey were used. First, a clinical observational study in designated physiotherapy practices whereby three patients’ exercise journals and physiotherapists were collected for case reviews. Second, a cross-sectional survey of community using closed-ended questionnaire. The statistical tool Microsoft Excel Analysis Tool PAK and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) Student’s paired t-test was used for data analysis.

Results: Men and women showed higher levels of adherence to different perspectives of adherence. The main limiting factors for all individuals to prescribed exercises were health and time. Males and females showed some differences in other limiting factors, but there is no significant difference between genders.

Conclusions: Overall, it will be inductive fallacy of generalisation to claim that a specific gender is less adherent to physiotherapy exercises for LBP. The observation of insignificant gender differences in some limiting factors provides additional piece of information to physiotherapists that when aiming to achieve or improve adherence to physiotherapy exercises, each patient should be treated on a case-by-case basis.

Keywords:

• Adherence evaluation
• gender
• limiting factors
• low back pain
• physiotherapy exercise prescription

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the following: Tablelands Sports and Spinal Physiotherapy of Lithgow, Pinnacle Physiotherapy Clinic of Orange and Flex Out Physiotherapy of Albury/Wodonga, for their support in the data collection for the patient exercise journals and their contribution via completion of the physiotherapist surveys. In addition, I wish to thank Kylie Murphy and Megan Smith for their assistance and guidance in reviewing sections of the paper throughout its composition.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.