Objective To compare public perceptions and patient perceptions about back pain and its management with current clinical guidelines.Design A survey using a quota sampling technique.Setting On-the-street in South Derbyshire in the UK.Subjects 507 members of the general population aged between 20 and 60 years, including a representative subsample of 40% who had experienced back pain in the previous year.Survey To test knowledge and perceptions of back pain and its best management using statements based on The Back Book which was produced in conjunction with the Royal College of General Practitioners and based on best available evidence. In addition expectations of back pain management and outcome were investigated.Results Forty percent of this sample had experienced back pain during the previous year, more than half of whom had consulted their GP. More than half believed the spine is one of the strongest part of the body, but nearly two thirds incorrectly believed that back pain is often due to a slipped disc or trapped nerve. Two thirds expected a GP to be able to tell them exactly what was wrong with their back, although slightly fewer among those who had consulted. Most expected to have an X-ray, especially if they had consulted. Most recognised that the most important thing a GP can do is o er reassurance and advice. The responses were not related to age, gender or social class. Those who had consulted appeared to have slightly more misconceptions: this could be partly due to people with more severe problems or more misconceptions being more likely to consult, but also suggests either that GPs are still giving inaccurate information or at least failing to correct these misconceptions.

Article:Glendinning, Caroline, Clarke, Susan, Hare, Philippa et al. (2 more ReuseUnless indicated otherwise, fulltext items are protected by copyright with all rights reserved. The copyright exception in section 29 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 allows the making of a single copy solely for the purpose of non-commercial research or private study within the limits of fair dealing. The publisher or other rights-holder may allow further reproduction and re-use of this version -refer to the White Rose Research Online record for this item. Where records identify the publisher as the copyright holder, users can verify any specific terms of use on the publisher's website. TakedownIf you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing eprints@whiterose.ac.uk including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. Progress and problems in developing outcomes-focused social care services for older people in EnglandCaroline Glendinning, Sue Clarke, Philippa Hare, Jane Maddison, Liz Newbronner

Adult social care services are increasingly establishing reablement services as part of their range of home care provision, sometimes alone, sometimes jointly with NHS partners. Typically, home care reablement is a short‐term intervention, often free of charge, that aims to maximise independent living skills. This paper describes two small studies examining the impact of home care reablement on subsequent service use. The evidence so far strongly suggests that a period of home care reablement can reduce the subsequent use of home care services and that, for some people, these benefits may last for a year or more. However, a number of organisational and cultural factors can limit the immediate and longer‐term benefits of home care reablement.

BackgroundIn the late 1950s and early 1960s the drug Thalidomide was marketed across the world as a non-addictive tranquilizer. Despite being given to pregnant women as a safe treatment for morning sickness, Thalidomide caused serious damage to the unborn child. Much has been written about the drug and the birth defects it caused but evidence about the health of Thalidomide survivors as they age is limited.AimThe aim of this study was to: explore the health and wellbeing UK Thalidomide survivors; document the health problems experienced by them as they reach their mid-50s; and examine the impacts on their health-related quality of life and employment.MethodsA health and wellbeing survey of 351 UK Thalidomide survivors, which gathered information about home and employment circumstances, recent health problems, and health related quality of life (using SF12 Health Survey). Overall analysis focused on descriptive statistics; the association between respondents’ health related quality of life and original impairment was examined using Pearson Correlation; and a three step Hierarchical Regression was used to explore the influence of five factors which narrative responses suggested might be important.ResultsAs Thalidomide survivors reach their mid-50’s they are experiencing a wide range of secondary health problems, in particular musculoskeletal problems, and depression and anxiety, with multimorbidity a growing issue. These health problems are having a negative impact on their employment (two fifths are unable to work) and their physical health related quality of life, which is significantly poorer than the general population.DiscussionHaving lived relatively independent lives, many Thalidomide survivors are now having to adjust to growing disability. The study provides further evidence of the accumulative impact of disability over peoples’ lifetimes and highlights the value of a life course perspective in understanding the complex experience of growing older with a disability.

The two most frequently reported groups of health problems were musculoskeletal and mental health conditions. There was little discussion about the social consequences of secondary damage being layered onto lifelong impairments or of the implications of co-morbidities. Future research needs a stronger connection to more social models of disability and critical disability studies.