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Table 1 Sample Demographics and Characteristics by Group (n = 373,717)

From: Initial treatment approaches and healthcare utilization among veterans with low back pain: a propensity score analysis

 

PT Only

N = 28,850

Opioids Only

N = 48,978

No PT or Opioids

N = 295,889

 
 

Mn (SD)

Mn (SD)

Mn (SD)

ANOVA p

Age

52.8 (17.9)

54.2 (16.6)

53.2 (17.4)

< 0.0001*

Baseline Pain

4.2 (3.0)

5.6 (3.0)

3.8 (3.1)

< 0.0001*

 

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

Chi-square p

Sex

   

< 0.0001

Male

25,505 (88.4)

44,528 (90.9)

265,096 (89.6)

 

Marital Status

   

< 0.0001

Divorced/Separated

7018 (24.3)

14,580 (29.8)

73,550 (24.9)

 

Married

15,526 (53.8)

25,619 (52.2)

164,179 (55.5)

 

Single

4896 (16.9)

6295 (12.9)

44,073 (14.9)

 

Widowed

1168 (4.1)

2165 (4.4)

11,188 (3.8)

 

Other (Unknown)

242 (0.8)

319 (0.7)

2899 (1.0)

 

Race

   

< 0.0001

White

20,033 (69.4)

35,265 (72.0)

204,675 (69.2)

 

Black

5838 (20.2)

9120 (18.6)

58,739 (19.9)

 

Other**

1360 (4.7)

1752 (3.6)

13,240 (4.5)

 

Unknown

1619 (5.6)

2841 (5.8)

19,235 (6.5)

 

Ethnicity

   

< 0.0001

Hispanic

2225 (7.7)

3577 (7.3)

26,251 (8.9)

 

Non-Hispanic

25,623 (88.8)

43,712 (89.3)

258,668 (87.4)

 

Unknown

1002 (3.5)

1689 (3.5)

10,970 (3.7)

 

Comorbid Conditions

Musculoskeletal

    

Arthritis (Rheumatoid/Osteoarthritis)

2864 (10.0)

5006 (10.2)

25,868 (8.7)

< 0.0001

Osteoporosis

144 (0.5)

258 (0.5)

1259 (0.4)

0.0027

Cardiovascular

    

Angina/Ischemic Heart Disease

2159 (7.5)

4144 (8.5)

19,815 (6.7)

< 0.0001

Cerebral Vascular Accident/Transient Ischemic Attack

741 (2.6)

1001 (2.0)

5474 (1.9)

< 0.0001

Congestive Heart Failure

446 (1.6)

1093 (2.2)

3693 (1.3)

< 0.0001

Myocardial Infarction (acute)

50 (0.2)

107 (0.2)

381 (0.1)

< 0.0001

Peripheral Vascular Disease

466 (1.6)

927 (1.9)

3983 (1.4)

< 0.0001

Pulmonary

    

Asthma

882 (3.1)

1404 (2.9)

7512 (2.5)

< 0.0001

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

487 (1.7)

963 (2.0)

3662 (1.2)

< 0.0001

Metabolic

    

Diabetes (Types I and II)

3958 (13.7)

7239 (14.8)

36,238 (12.3)

< 0.0001

Gastrointestinal (upper-ulcer, hernia, reflux)

745 (2.6)

868 (1.8)

4783 (1.6)

< 0.0001

Obesity (BMI > 30)

3408 (11.8)

5274 (10.8)

29,028 (9.8)

< 0.0001

Mental Health

    

Anxiety

6066 (21.0)

9103 (18.6)

54,253 (18.3)

< 0.0001

Depression

2997 (10.4)

3867 (7.9)

23,097 (7.8)

< 0.0001

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

4020 (13.9)

5849 (11.9)

35,621 (12.0)

< 0.0001

Psychosis

468 (1.6)

709 (1.5)

4131 (1.4)

0.0071

Other

    

Hearing Impairment

3419 (11.9)

4478 (9.1)

29,499 (10.0)

< 0.0001

Visual Impairment

240 (0.8)

377 (0.8)

2321 (0.8)

0.6205

Neurological Disease (Multiple Sclerosis/Parkinson’s)

157 (0.5)

171 (0.4)

1148 (0.4)

< 0.0001

Substance Use Disorder **(excluding opioid use in previous year)

1410 (4.9)

1779 (3.6)

10,439 (3.5)

< 0.0001

Alcohol Use

2362 (8.2)

3211 (6.6)

18,599 (6.3)

< 0.0001

  1. *comparisons between all groups for age and pain intensity were statistically significantly different using the post hoc Tukey’s adjustment. **Other race category includes American Indian, Islander, and Asian