Table 2 Pain and psychosocial characteristics of Australian and New Zealand nurses and midwives with neck pain in the preceding 12-months by whether they took no sick leave (n = 1511) or sick leave (n = 343), together with the bivariable associations between these factors and neck pain related sick leave (NP-SL)

Pain characteristics

Neck pain severity, mean (SD)

5.2

(2.2)

7.5

(1.8)

1.70

(1.59, 1.83)

<0.001

Psychosocial factors: cognitive

Fear of movement, mean (SD)

20.8

(5.0)

24.2

(5.1)

1.15

(1.12, 1.18)

<0.001

Pain catastrophising, mean (SD)

6.4

(7.4)

8.4

(8.3)

1.03

(1.02, 1.05)

<0.001

  Rumination subscale, mean (SD)

2.6

(3.0)

3.0

(3.2)

1.04

(1.00, 1.08)

0.03

  Magnification subscale, mean (SD)

1.3

(1.7)

1.6

(1.8)

1.11

(1.04, 1.19)

0.001

  Helplessness subscale, mean (SD)

2.5

(3.4)

3.7

(4.0)

1.08

(1.05, 1.12)

<0.001

Belief work caused/exacerbated NP, n (%)*

1232

(82.1)

312

(91.5)

2.35

(1.57, 3.51)

<0.001

Psychosocial factors: behavioural

Pain coping – passive coping, mean (SD)

11.4

(3.6)

14.2

(4.0)

1.21

(1.17, 1.25)

<0.001

Pain coping – active coping, mean (SD)

16.7

(3.4)

16.5

(3.1)

0.98

(0.95, 1.02)

0.33

Psychosocial factors: emotional

Depressive symptoms, n (%)*

347

(24.2)

118

(37.2)

1.86

(1.43, 2.40)

<0.001

Diagnosed anxiety, n (%)*

232

(16.2)

73

(22.7)

1.52

(1.13, 2.05)

0.01

Diagnosed depression, n (%)*

393

(27.4)

119

(37.1)

1.56

(1.21, 2.02)

0.001

General mental health, mean (SD)

46.1

(10.1)

42.8

(10.6)

0.97

(0.96, 0.98)

<0.001

Psychosocial factors: social

Skill discretion, mean (SD)

37.6

(4.7)

37.1

(5.1)

0.98

(0.96, 1.00)

0.10

Decision authority, mean (SD)

36.0

(6.9)

35.4

(7.4)

0.99

(0.97, 1.01)

0.21

Job control, mean (SD)

73.6

(10.4)

72.6

(11.4)

0.99

(0.98, 1.00)

0.12

Psychological demands, mean (SD)

16.0

(3.1)

16.1

(3.2)

1.01

(0.98, 1.04)

0.62

Co-worker support, mean (SD)

6.0

(1.0)

5.9

(1.0)

0.92

(0.81, 1.03)

0.15

Supervisor support, mean (SD)

5.8

(1.5)

5.6

(1.7)

0.90

(0.84, 0.98)

0.01

Job support, mean (SD)

11.9

(2.2)

11.5

(2.4)

0.94

(0.89, 0.99)

0.02

Over commitment, n (%)

0.004

  Low

729

(69.9)

142

(60.2)

1.00

(reference)

  High

314

(30.1)

94

(39.8)

1.54

(1.15, 2.06)