Acta clinica Croatica, Vol. 64. No. 2, 2025.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2025.64.02.09
Correlation of Physical and Mental Components of Health-Related Quality of Life, Function and Pain in Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain
Mirjana Berković-Šubić
; Zagreb County Health Center, Physical Therapy, Samobor, Croatia; Ivanić-Grad High School, Ivanić-Grad, Croatia
Simeon Grazio
orcid.org/0000-0003-3407-0317
; Department of Rheumatology, Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
*
Gilbert Hofmann
; Veli Lošinj Health Resort, Physical Therapy, Veli Lošinj, Croatia
Zoran Zoričić
; Department of Psychiatry, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is significantly reduced in patients with
chronic nonspecific low back pain. In these patients, the relationship between physical and mental health
with quality of life has not been adequately studied, nor has the relationship between functional disability
and pain intensity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the physical and mental
components of HRQoL and their association with pain intensity and functional disability in patients
with better and worse physical and mental health. In addition to sociodemographic and baseline data,
disease-specific measures were obtained using standard questionnaires, i.e., the visual analog scale for
pain, the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire for functional capacity in patients with chronic low
back pain, and the Brief Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (SF-36). Statistical significance
was determined at p<0.05. The study involved 129 consecutive patients (33 men and 96 women) with
chronic low back pain. A significant positive association was found between overall HRQoL, height, and
body weight in relation to physical and mental health, but not with body weight in relation to physical
health. A negative association was found with age, intensity of movement pain, and functional disability
in relation to physical and mental health. An improvement in mental health was found compared to an
increase in physical health. Better physical and mental health scores were associated with lower levels of
functional disability. In conclusion, the results of this real-life study demonstrated the importance of improving
the physical components of HRQoL as it affects assessment of the mental component in patients
with chronic low back pain. Moreover, patients with better quality of life rated functional disability lower.
Keywords
Back pain, low, chronic; Mental health; Health-related quality of life
Hrčak ID:
337587
URI
Publication date:
30.6.2025.
Visits: 139 *