Abstract

This study conducted a two-year follow-up of 2 147 workers with at least one complete lost work-day due to back problems in 1988.

Data on socio-demographic and occupational characteristics, the incidence of back problems, chronicity and factors which predict chronicity, diagnostic procedures, therapy, and consumption of medical services are now available. The initial diagnosis proved to be a better predictor of both chronicity and relapse, with the risk of chronicity increasing five-fold in cases where a specific initial diagnosis was possible. Women and workers of both sexes older than 55 years are at a higher risk of becoming chronic cases. Workers with specific diagnoses are twice as likely to suffer relapses. Finally, 4.8% of chronic cases accounted for 45% of all costs incurred by the cohort over two years.

This descriptive study of 2 147 workers was the first phase of a larger project. Another phase consists of the implementation and evaluation of a case management programme for workers suffering from back problems. Two experimental studies involving medical, paramedical, and ergonomic interventions will be conducted in collaboration with the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS) and the Department of Community Health of the Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur. This project will provide new descriptive data on the affected population, back disorders generally, and therapeutic modalities, analyze the costs associated with these interventions, and determine the effectiveness of the interventions in preventing chronicity.