Fear Avoidance Beliefs Predict Disability in Older Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain

Objectives To determine whether fear avoidance beliefs (FABs) in older adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP) are significantly associated with gait speed decline and/or self-report of greater disability. Design Cross-sectional analysis. Setting An academic medical center (single site). Participan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PM & R 2012-07, Vol.4 (7), p.493-497
Main Authors: Camacho-Soto, Alejandra, MD, Sowa, Gwendolyn A., MD, PhD, Perera, Subashan, PhD, Weiner, Debra K., MD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Avoidance Learning
Chronic Disease
Cross-Sectional Studies
Disability Evaluation
Disabled Persons - psychology
Fear
Female
Gait - physiology
Humans
Low Back Pain - physiopathology
Low Back Pain - psychology
Male
Mobility Limitation
Motor Activity - physiology
Pain Measurement
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
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Summary:Objectives To determine whether fear avoidance beliefs (FABs) in older adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP) are significantly associated with gait speed decline and/or self-report of greater disability. Design Cross-sectional analysis. Setting An academic medical center (single site). Participants Two hundred English-speaking participants aged 65 years and older with CLBP every day or almost every day of moderate or greater intensity for ≥3 months. Main Outcome Measurements The physical activity portion of the FAB questionnaire assessed FABs. Disability was measured with gait speed and the Roland Morris Questionnaire. Covariates measured included age, gender, body mass index, chronic disease (Cumulative Illness Rating Scale), depression (Geriatric Depression Scale), and pain (McGill Pain Questionnaire Short Form). Results FABs were significantly associated with the Roland Morris Questionnaire ( P < .0001) and gait speed ( P = .002) after controlling for all covariates. Conclusion FABs related to physical activity in older adults with CLBP were significantly associated with both self-reported and performance-based disability after controlling for known confounders. Previous studies have reported similar associations between self-reported measures of disabling back pain and FABs. Ours is the first study to examine the relationship between FAB and gait speed, a powerful predictor of morbidity and mortality. Future work should examine whether targeting fear avoidance in addition to other psychosocial measures in older adults with CLBP improves gait speed and functional independence.
ISSN:1934-1482
1934-1563
DOI:10.1016/j.pmrj.2012.01.017