Examination of factors affecting pain-related self-efficacy in patients with chronic neck pain

Abstract

Objective: Chronic neck pain (CNP) is a musculoskeletal disorder and has psychosocial characteristics. Our study aimed to identify demographic and clinical descriptives for pain-related self-efficacy in patients with CNP. Material and Methods: Two hundred patients (100 women, 100 men) with CNP included to the study were divided into 2 groups according to gender. Of the groups, pain-related self-efficacy, pain severity, balance skills, and physical activity level were evaluated with the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form (IPAQ-LF). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine whether the models created with the variables that were determined as a result of Spearman's correlation analysis were descriptive of pain-related self-efficacy. Results: As a result of the correlation analysis, the model, created to determine the contribution of age, BMI, BBS, TUG and total IPAQ-LF scores, which were found to be associated with the pain-related self-efficacy levels, explained 62% of the total variance in women with CNP (F= 22.276; p=0.001; R2= 0.629). In men with CNP, it was revealed that the model created with the scores of VAS, BBS and TUG, which were found to be associated with the level of pain-related self-efficacy, explained 73% of the variance (F= 70.138, p<0.001, R2= 0.736). While the main variables affecting the PSEQ results in women were VAS (p=0.000) and total IPEQ-LF scores (p=0.003), only VAS scores significantly contributed to PSEQ results in men. Conclusion: Primarily, reducing the severity of CNP contributes to increasing pain-related self-efficacy, regardless of gender. Moreover, increasing the level of physical activity in women may increase their belief in pain-related self-efficacy.