Neuropathic Low Back Pain and Burnout among Hungarian Workers

Kornél Mák, Krisztián Kapus, Gábor Tóth, Dávid Hesszenberger, Marietta Pohl, Gabriella Pusch, Éva Fejes, Gergely Fehér and Antal Tibold
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Kornél Mák: Centre for Occupational Medicine, Medical School, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
Krisztián Kapus: Centre for Occupational Medicine, Medical School, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
Gábor Tóth: Centre for Occupational Medicine, Medical School, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
Dávid Hesszenberger: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
Marietta Pohl: Centre for Occupational Medicine, Medical School, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
Gabriella Pusch: Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
Éva Fejes: Centre for Occupational Medicine, Medical School, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
Gergely Fehér: Centre for Occupational Medicine, Medical School, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
Antal Tibold: Centre for Occupational Medicine, Medical School, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 5, 1-10

Abstract: Burnout is an increasingly prevalent syndrome mainly involving those working in human services. Although it is categorized as an occupational phenomenon and not as a medical condition, it seems to be strongly associated with several diseases such as pain syndromes. However, no studies examined the association between neuropathic low back pain and burnout. This questionnaire-based study was carried out between April 2019 and March 2020 in three main sites among teachers, social workers and healthcare workers. Demographic criteria included age, gender, marital status, number of children, type of work, years spent with work, work schedule, legal relation, secondary employment. Included diseases were diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, generalized pain (pain involving more than one area of the body) and depression. Low back pain was assessed by the painDETECT questionnaire, burnout was measured with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and depression was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory. Dysfunctional attitudes were also recorded. Overall, 1500 questionnaires were successfully delivered and 1141 responses received (response rate of 76%). Three hundred social workers, 399 teachers, 339 paramedics, 35 doctors and 68 medical attendants have completed our survey. In a multivariate analysis including of all factors (demographic criteria, burnout, depression, dysfunctional attitudes, comorbidity etc.) neuropathic low back pain was associated with age > 62 (OR = 3.981, p = 0.01), number of children ? 2 (OR = 2.638, p = 0.003), job type (being a social worker) (OR = 6.654, p < 0.001), burnout (OR = 2.577, p < 0.001), current depression (OR = 2.397, p < 0.001), and suffering from generalized pain (OR= 4.076, p < 0.001). This is the first study showing the association of burnout and neuropathic low back pain, which is the most common cause of disability. Based on our results neuropathic low back pain and burnout have similar risk factors and consequences which raises the possibility of similar pathophysiology.

Keywords: low back pain; neuropathic pain; burnout; prevalence; risk factor; multivariate analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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