Skip to main content

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of participants in each of the intervention groups

From: Rest versus exercise as treatment for patients with low back pain and Modic changes. a randomized controlled clinical trial

Characteristic

Rest

Exercise

All

Number enrolled

49

51

100

Age [mean, SD]

47 ± 9.8

45 ± 8.9

46 ± 9.3

Sex [female %]

33 (67)

35 (69)

68 (68)

BMI [median, IQR]

25 (22-27)

25 (24-29)

25 (23-28)

BMI distribution [N (%)]

   

Underweight < 18.5

0

0

0

Normal range 18.5 to 24.9

25 (51)

24 (47)

49 (49)

Overweight 25 to 30

16 (33)

17 (33)

33 (33)

Obese > 30

8 (16)

10 (20)

18 (18)

Smoking (Yes (%))

23 (47)

18 (35)

41 (41)

Heavy smoking (> 20 cigarettes/day) (N (%))

3 (6)

3 (6)

6 (6)

Employed (Yes (%))

34 (69)

39 (76)

73 (73)

Unemployed (Yes (%))

7 (15)

6 (12)

13 (13)

Disability pension (Yes (%))

4 (9)

2 (4)

6 (6)

Applied disability pension (Yes (%))

3 (6)

3 (6)

6 (6)

Type of occupation (N (%))

   

Sitting

11 (22)

6 (12)

17 (17)

Mostly walking

17 (35)

23 (45)

40 (40)

Walking and some lifting

11 (22)

12 (24)

23 (23)

Hard physical work

10 (20)

10 (20)

20 (20)

Education (Number (%))

   

Basic school 8 to 10 grade

17 (35)

14 (28)

31 (31)

High school

2 (4)

2 (4)

4 (4)

Vocational education

20 (41)

21 (41)

41 (41)

Academic, maximum 4 years

10 (20)

12 (25)

22 (22)

Academic, > 4 years

0 (0)

2 (4)

2 (2)

Sick leave (Yes (%))

18 (37)

20 (39)

38 (38)

Sick leave last year Number (%))

   

0 days

8 (16)

9 (18)

17 (17)

1 to 30 days

17 (35)

19 (37)

36 (36)

31 to 365 days

24 (48)

23 (45)

47 (47)

Complaint or compensation case (Yes (%))

5 (10)

3 (6)

8 (8)

Pre-trial exercise therapy (Number (%))

30 (61)

23 (45)

53 (53)

MCs Type I (%)

38 (78)

40 (78)

78 (78)

MCs Type II (%)

30 (61)

31 (61)

61 (61)

MCs Type III (%)

9 (18)

4 (8)

13 (13)

Pain NRS (0 to 10) (mean ± SD)

5.6 ± 1.5

5.1 ± 2.2

5.3 ± 1.9

Disability RMQ-23 (mean ± SD)

12.0 ± 4.0

13.3 ± 4.8

12.6 ± 4.4

General health EQindex (mean ± SD)

0.68 ± 0.12

0.62 ± 0.18

0.65 ± 0.15

General health EQVAS (mean ± SD)

54 ± 18

53 ± 20

53 ± 19

Depression BDI

10.7 ± 6.1

9.6 ± 5.9

10.2 ± 6.0

  1. BDI, Beck Depression Inventory; BMI, body mass index; EQ-5D, EuroQol; IQR, interquartile range; NRS, numeric rating scale; RMQ, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire; SD, standard deviation.