2025 Volume 4 Pages 1-8
We evaluated psychological and social factors in a total of 170 participants, including 51 subjects (28 men, 23 women, mean age 23.3 ± 6.5 years) with unclear origin low back pain (unclear origin pain group), 34 subjects (27 men, 7 women, mean age 21.4 ± 2.4 years) with low back pain possibly due to extension-related (extension-related pain group), and 85 subjects (58 men, 27 women, mean age 20.6 ± 2.3 years) in the non-low back pain (control group). The evaluation scales used were the GHQ-12, BS-POP for patients, and STAI. The mean total score of the GHQ-12 was 28.5 ± 4.5 points in the group with pain of unclear origin, 26.2 ± 6.5 points in the extension-related pain group, and 23.8 ± 5.8 points in the control group. The highest scores were observed in the group with pain of unclear origin, followed by the extension-related pain group and the control group (p<0.001). The mean total score of the BS-POP for patients was 17.5 ± 2.9 points in the unclear origin pain group, 16.7 ±3.0 points in the extension-related pain group, and 15.7 ± 2.6 points in the control group, with the scores increasing in the order of the unclear origin group, the extension-related pain group, and the control group (p<0.001). The mean total score of STAI (A-state) was 46.8 ± 7.9 points in the unclear origin pain group, 45.0 ± 10.4 points in the extension-related pain group, and 44.0 ± 9.8 points in the control group, with the scores increasing in the order of the unclear origin group, the extension-related pain group, and the control group, but no statistically significant difference was observed. The mean total score of STAI (A-trait) was 51.5 ± 7.9 points in the unclear origin pain group, 48.0 ± 10.1 points in the extension-related pain group, and 47.0 ± 8.9 points in the control group. The highest scores were observed in the group with pain of unclear origin, followed by the extension-related pain group and the control group (p<0.001). In the unclear origin group, psychological and social factors were suggested to be involved based on three assessment tools—GHQ-12, BS-POP for patients, and STAI (A-trait); in contrast, STAI (A-state) indicated no such involvement.
