Table 2

Multinomial regression analyses; multivariate associations between patient characteristics and choice of healthcare provider (dependent variable)*

	GP (n=127)		PT (n=130)
	OR (95% CI)	P value	OR (95% CI)	P value
Block (1) Sociodemographic variables
Age	1.03 (0.99 to 1.07)	0.11	1.04 (1.00 to 1.08)	0.03
Gender
Female	1.53 (0.96 to 2.45)	0.07	1.33 (0.83 to 2.12)	0.24
Male (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Marital status
Married/cohabiting	0.67 (0.38 to 1.19)	0.17	0.90 (0.51 to 1.61)	0.73
Not married/cohabiting (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Educational level
Higher education	1.02 (0.64 to 1.62)	0.94	1.08 (0.68 to 1.73)	0.73
Lower education (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Employment status
Currently in paid work	0.86 (0.46 to 1.62)	0.64	0.55 (0.30 to 1.01)	0.05
No paid work (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Block (2) General health variables
Hazardous alcohol intake (AUDIT-C)
Yes	1.20 (0.73 to 1.97)	0.47	1.08 (0.64 to 1.81)	0.77
No (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Smoking status
Yes	1.18 (0.56 to 2.46)	0.67	0.64 (0.28 to 1.48)	0.29
Previously	1.31 (0.77 to 2.23)	0.32	1.11 (0.67 to 1.83)	0.70
No (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Health-related quality of life (SF-36, 0–100)
Physical component	0.96 (0.93 to 1.00)	0.03	0.98 (0.95 to 1.01)	0.19
Mental component	0.97 (0.95 to 1.00)	0.02	1.01 (0.98 to 1.03)	0.73
BMI	0.98 (0.93 to 1.04)	0.53	0.97 (0.92 to 1.02)	0.28
Comorbidities (SCQ, 0–15)	1.07 (0.86 to 1.33)	0.53	1.15 (0.95 to 1.40)	0.17
Widespread pain
Yes	0.22 (0.06 to 0.81)	0.02	0.46 (0.18 to 1.16)	0.10
No (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Falls self-efficacy (FES-I, 16–64)	1.00 (0.95 to 1.05)	0.98	1.03 (0.95 to 1.05)	0.32
Block (3) Current back pain and back pain history variables
Back pain severity (NRS, 0–10)	1.02 (0.91 to 1.14)	0.77	0.90 (0.80 to 1.01)	0.08
Back-related disability (RMDQ, 0–24)	1.06 (1.00 to 1.12)	0.04	1.07 (1.01 to 1.13)	0.02
Duration
Over 3 months	2.92 (1.28 to 6.66)	0.01	4.57 (1.99 to 10.50)	<0.01
6 weeks to 3 months	3.03 (1.27 to 4.97)	0.02	3.17 (1.28 to 7.84)	0.01
0–6 weeks (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Morning stiffness
Significant or extreme	0.76 (0.41 to 1.42)	0.39	1.21 (0.64 to 2.30)	0.55
Moderate	1.37 (0.74 to 2.56)	0.32	2.03 (1.08 to 3.81)	0.03
A little or none (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Sleep problems attributable to back pain
Weekly	1.09 (0.63 to 1.89)	0.76	0.75 (0.41 to 1.35)	0.33
Less than weekly (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Previous back pain frequency
Yearly	1.11 (0.65 to 1.92)	0.70	1.00 (0.59 to 1.69)	0.99
Not yearly (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Block (4) Psychological variables
Fear-avoidance (FABQ-PA, 0–24)	1.02 (0.98 to 1.07)	0.32	1.03 (0.98 to 1.08)	0.22
Pain catastrophising (PCS, 0–52)	1.04 (1.00 to 1.07)	0.05	1.06 (1.02 to 1.10)	<0.01
Depression symptoms (CES-D, 0–60)	0.99 (0.95 to 1.03)	0.53	0.99 (0.96 to 1.03)	0.61
Back beliefs (BBQ, 9–45)	0.97 (0.93 to 1.02)	0.23	0.99 (0.95 to 1.03)	0.67
Expectation for back pain in 3 months
Recovered	0.26 (0.12 to 0.56)	<0.01	0.39 (0.19 to 0.79)	0.01
Much better	0.65 (0.35 to 1.19)	0.16	0.85 (0.46 to 1.58)	0.61
No change or worse (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Start Back Screening tool risk category
Medium+high risk	1.02 (0.55 to 1.87)	0.95	0.49 (0.26 to 0.92)	0.03
Low risk (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Block (5) Clinical variables
No of red flags (0–12)	1.25 (0.99 to 1.58)	0.06	1.19 (0.96 to 1.48)	0.12
Diagnostic tool for radiculopathy
Positive	1.94 (1.08 to 3.47)	0.03	1.52 (0.85 to 2.73)	0.16
Negative (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Pain on active range of motion
Yes	0.95 (0.57 to 1.58)	0.85	1.09 (0.67 to 1.80)	0.72
No (ref.)	1.00		1.00
Trunk mobility performance (BPS, 0–18)	1.16 (1.08 to 1.24)	<0.01	1.07 (1.00 to 1.15)	0.04
Timed-Up-and-Go, mean seconds	0.93 (0.83 to 1.04)	0.20	1.00 (0.90 to 1.11)	0.93

The ORs for continuous variables represent the change in odds with a one-unit increase in the continuous variable.

The chiropractic group (n=195) was the reference dependent variable.

Models were built block-wise within the five blocks: (1) sociodemographic (2) general health (3) current episode and back pain history (4) psychological and (5) clinical. All variables were included simultaneously.

Bold p-values identify associations that are statistically significant.

*The multinomial regression analyses are based on pooled estimates from multiple regression analyses.

AUDIT-C, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test - Consumption questions; BBQ, Back Beliefs Questionnaire; BMI, body mass index; BPS, Back Performance Scale; CES-D, Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression; FABQ-PA, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire-Physical Activity subscale; FES-I, Falls Self-Efficacy Scale-International; GP, general practitioner; NRS, Numeric Rating Scale; PCS, Pain Catastrophising Scale; PT, physiotherapist; ref, reference category; RMDQ, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire; SCQ, Self-administered Comorbidity Questionnaire; SF-36, Short Form Health Survey 36 Item.