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Health care workers have a high prevalence of sickness absence because of low back pain (LBP). This study examined whether fear-avoidance beliefs (FAB): 1) predicted sickness absence and 2) moderated the association between LBP and sickness absence among 1724 newly educated health care workers with LBP >or= day during the previous 12 months. High FAB was associated with sickness absence days 1 year later (relative risk, 1.45, 95% confidence interval = 1.24 to 1.70), controlled for LBP, previous sickness absence, and age. When controlling for work environmental factors, the association remained significant but decreased. Furthermore, the results showed that health care workers with high degree of LBP would have more sickness absence days if they also had high FAB. To reduce sickness absence, education about pain management must be presumed to be beneficial.

A long term follow-up study of 518 patients with hip fractures was undertaken 2.5 years after the operation. The total mortality was 35 per cent (180/518). The risk of social deterioration for patients admitted from home was 47 per cent (132/281). A statistical analysis showed this risk to be determined primarily by the age of the patient and secondarily by the placement of the patient on discharge from hospital. A thorough description of these factors is presented.