Wolf E Mehling1, Niklas Krause. 1. Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, Campus Box 1726, 1701 Divisadero, #150, San Francisco, CA 94143-1726, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of alexithymia (deficit in emotional awareness) with 12-month prevalence of low back pain (LBP) cross-sectionally in a cohort study of 1180 San Francisco transit operators. METHODS: Alexithymia was measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). LBP was assessed in medical histories during drivers relicensing exams. Multivariate logistic regression analyses controlled for demographic, behavioral (smoking, alcohol, coping style), and physical and psychosocial job factors measured by questionnaire and interview. RESULTS: Of all the drivers, 31.4% suffered from LBP. Scoring in the upper quartile of alexithymia summary scores was associated with twofold higher odds of LBP (adjusted odds ratio=2.00, 95% confidence interval: 1.31-3.00). The association was stronger in women (adj. OR=4.35) than in men (adj. OR=1.83). The factor "difficulty identifying feelings" showed the strongest association with LBP (adj. OR=2.23). CONCLUSION: The results support an association between alexithymia and LBP.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of alexithymia (deficit in emotional awareness) with 12-month prevalence of low back pain (LBP) cross-sectionally in a cohort study of 1180 San Francisco transit operators. METHODS: Alexithymia was measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). LBP was assessed in medical histories during drivers relicensing exams. Multivariate logistic regression analyses controlled for demographic, behavioral (smoking, alcohol, coping style), and physical and psychosocial job factors measured by questionnaire and interview. RESULTS: Of all the drivers, 31.4% suffered from LBP. Scoring in the upper quartile of alexithymia summary scores was associated with twofold higher odds of LBP (adjusted odds ratio=2.00, 95% confidence interval: 1.31-3.00). The association was stronger in women (adj. OR=4.35) than in men (adj. OR=1.83). The factor "difficulty identifying feelings" showed the strongest association with LBP (adj. OR=2.23). CONCLUSION: The results support an association between alexithymia and LBP.
Authors: Tor D Wager; Jian Kang; Timothy D Johnson; Thomas E Nichols; Ajay B Satpute; Lisa Feldman Barrett Journal: PLoS Comput Biol Date: 2015-04-08 Impact factor: 4.475