What Biopsychosocial Factors are Associated With Work Ability in Conservatively Managed Patients with Cervical Radiculopathy? A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Abstract

No previous studies have investigated what biopsychosocial factors are associated with self-reported work ability in conservatively managed patients with cervical radiculopathy. To develop a theoretical model of factors and potential processes associated with variation in work ability based on a thorough assessment of biopsychosocial variables in conservatively managed patients with cervical radiculopathy. Cross-sectional observational study. Tertiary neurosurgery clinic. A total of 144 conservatively managed patients with cervical pain and radiculopathy participated in the study. From 64 biopsychosocial candidate variables, significant (P < .05) bivariate correlators with Work Ability Index (WAI) were entered as independent variables in a categorical regression. Elastic net regularization maintained the most parsimonious set of independent variables significantly associated with variation in WAI as the dependent variable. Process analysis of significant independent variable associations with WAI was performed. WAI. From 42 bivariate correlates of WAI, multivariate regression displayed a total of seven variables that were significantly (F [25,98] = 5.74, P < .05) associated with 65.8% of the variation in WAI. The Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire Work subscale (FABQ-W) were significant individual factors within the final regression model. Process analysis displayed FABQ-W having a significant specific indirect association with the direct association between NDI and WAI, with the model associated with 77% of the variability in WAI (F [2,84] = 141.17, P < .001). Of 64 candidate biopsychosocial factors, NDI and FABQ-W were the most significant multivariate correlates with work ability. FABQ-W has a significant indirect association with baseline NDI scores and perceived work ability. This warrants future research trialing work-related fear avoidance interventions in conservatively managed patients with cervical radiculopathy. III.