Relationships between the quality of life and the intensity of pain and functional efficiency in women and men with degenerative changes in the lumbar spine

Abstract

Introduction. Back pain is a serious medical and social problem. The aim of this study was relationships between the quality of life and the intensity of pain and functional efficiency in women and men with degenerative changes in the lumbar spine. Material and methods. The study involved 53 women and 52 men, who, due to chronic pain in the lumbar spine due to degenerative changes, were qualified for therapy at the Local Government Health Center in Miedziana Gora. The research tool was NRS scale, Oswestry Distability Index ODI and shortened version of the survey WHOQOL-BREF. The collected research results were analysed with the use of Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test and Spearman rank correlation. Results. Statistically significant differences in the values of the ODI questionnaire relating to the category "care" (p = 0.046) were found. In men, statistically significant negative associations between body build and the WHOQOL-BREF survey values concerning the somatic (p = 0.012), psychological (p = 0.007) and social (p = 0.022) domains were found. Statistically significant positive associations between the intensity of pain and functional capacity according to the ODI were found in both sexes (p < 0.001). Statistically significant negative relationships between the NRS value and the psychological domain were noted in women (p = 0.023), and with the somatic (p < 0.001), psychological (p = 0.006), socjal (p = 0.013) and environmental (p < 0.001) domain in men. Wnioski. In terms of functional efficiency, men with back pain caused by degenerative changes are characterized by greater limitations in terms of activities related to care. In men, the increase in BMI is accompanied by a decrease in the quality of life in the somatic, psychological and social domains. In both sexes, the increase in the intensity of back pain affects the deterioration of functional efficiency. In women, the increase in the intensity of pain was associated with a decrease in the quality of life in the psychological domain, and in men in the somatic, psychological, social and environmental domains.