Level of evidence for significant association of the potentially generic prognostic factors with poor outcomes and mean (range) of total quality scores for high-quality versus low-quality studies
| Association with poor outcome | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Significant association present | Significant association absent | ||||||
| Prognostic factors | Quality n Quality score | Quality n Quality score | Overall evidence | ||||
| Widespread pain, present | High | 18 | 12 (11–14) | High | 4 | 11.5 (10–13) | Yes, associated, strong |
| Low | 2 | 9 | Low | 2 | 6.5 (5–8) | ||
| Disability, high | High | 16 | 12 (10–14) | High | 2 | 12 | Yes, associated, strong |
| Low | 2 | 9 | Low | 0 | − | ||
| Somatisation, present | High | 10 | 12 (10–14) | High | 2 | 12.5 (11–14) | Yes, associated, strong |
| Low | 2 | 9 | Low | 0 | |||
| Pain intensity, high | High | 25 | 12 (12–14) | High | 10 | 11.5 (10–14) | Yes, associated, moderate |
| Low | 2 | 8.5 (8–9) | Low | 2 | 6.5 (5–8) | ||
| Pain duration, long | High | 27 | 12 (10–14) | High | 12 | 12 (11–14) | Yes, associated, moderate |
| Low | 4 | 8 (8–9) | Low | 3 | 8.5 (8–9) | ||
| Depression/anxiety, high | High | 15 | 13 (10–14) | High | 8 | 12.5 (11–14) | Yes, associated. moderate |
| Low | 2 | 8.5 (8–9) | Low | 2 | 7 (5–8) | ||
| Previous episodes, present | High | 16 | 12 (10–13) | High | 10 | 12 (10–14) | Yes, associated, weak |
| Low | 0 | − | Low | 1 | 8 | ||
| Coping strategy, poor | High | 9 | 12 (10–14) | High | 4 | 11 (10–13) | Yes, associated, weak |
| Low | 3 | 8 (8–9) | Low | 2 | 8 | ||
| Movement restriction, present | High | 6 | 11.5 (10–13) | High | 3 | 11 | Yes, associated, weak |
| Low | 0 | − | Low | 1 | 8 | ||
| Level of education, low | High | 3 | 12 (10–13) | High | 9 | 12.5 (10–13) | Not associated, strong |
| Low | 1 | 9 | Low | 2 | 6.5 (5–8) | ||
| Use of pain medication | High | 2 | 12.5 (12–13) | High | 5 | 12.5 (11–14) | Not associated, moderate |
| Low | 0 | Low | 1 | 9 | |||
| Age, older | High | 15 | 12 (11–14) | High | 18 | 11.5 (10–13) | Not associated, weak |
| Low | 1 | 9 | Low | 8 | 7.5 (5–9) | ||
| Gender, female | High | 5 | 13 | High | 10 | 12 (10–14) | Not associated, weak |
| Low | 0 | − | Low | 5 | 8 (5–9) | ||
| Social support, poor | High | 2 | 13 | High | 2 | 13 | Inconclusive |
| Low | 0 | − | Low | 0 | − | ||
| Heavy lifting, present | High | 0 | − | High | 0 | − | Inconclusive |
| Low | 1 | 5 | Low | 0 | − | ||