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Background: Difficulties in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in older adults are associated with diminished quality of life and increased demand for long-term care. The present study examined the prevalence of disability among individuals aged 65 years and older in Austria, using data from the Austrian Health Interview Surveys (ATHIS)., Methods: The ATHIS 2014 and 2019 surveys were used (N = 5853) for the analysis. Binary logistic regression was performed to measure the association between disability in at least one ADL or IADL limitation and independent variables adjusted for sociodemographic, health-related behavior and survey year., Results: The prevalence of ADL or IADL limitations increased in both sexes during the 5‑year follow-up period. For ADL limitations, the prevalence rose from 12.8% to 17.9% in men (p < 0.001) and from 19.2% to 25.7% in women (p < 0.001). The IADL limitations increased from 18.9% to 35.1% in men (p < 0.001) and from 38.2% to 50.8% in women (p < 0.001). Women reported significantly higher odds for ADL (odds ratio [OR]: 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93-1.26) and IADL limitations (OR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.53-1.98). In both sexes, participants aged 80 years and older reported higher odds for ADL (OR: 4.37, 95% CI:3.77-5.07) and IADL limitations (OR: 4.43, 95% CI: 3.86-5.09) compared to the younger group. Participants with at least one chronic disease reported higher odds for ADL (OR: 4.00, 95% CI: 3.41-4.70) and IADL limitations (OR: 4.37, 95% CI: 3.85-4.96). Primary education, single status, being born in non-EU/EFTA countries, and residing in Vienna were associated with higher odds of ADL and IADL limitations., Conclusion: Gender, age, education, country of birth, residence, partnership status, number of chronic diseases, noncompliance with physical activity, and nutrition recommendations had a strong association with increased vulnerability to disability. Public health policy must address these factors for disability prevention strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Exposure to extreme heat is associated with both increased morbidity and mortality, especially in older people. Health burdens associated with heat include heat stroke, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart diseases, heart failure and arrhythmia, pulmonary diseases but also injuries, problems with activities of daily living, and mental disorders. In Europe, there are remarkable spatial differences in heat exposure between urban and less populated areas. In Austria, for example, there is a significant gradual association between population density and the number of heat days, where the gradient of urbanization also follows the gradient of sea level. The European population is continuously ageing, especially in rural areas. Older adults are especially vulnerable to negative health consequences resulting from heat exposure, due to a lack of physiological, social, cognitive, and behavioral resources. Older people living in urban areas are particularly at risk, due to the urban heat island effect, the heat-promoting interplay between conditions typically found in cities, such as a lack of vegetation combined with a high proportion of built-up areas; however, older people living in rural regions often have less infrastructure to cope with extreme heat, such as fewer cooling centers and emergency services. Additionally, older adults still engaged in agricultural or forestry activities may be exposed to high temperatures without adequate protection or hydration. More research is required to examine factors responsible for heat vulnerability in older adults and the interactions and possibilities for increasing resilience in older urban and rural populations to the health consequences of heat., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Choosing the right intensity of medical care is a huge challenge particularly in long-term geriatric care. The Nascher score was developed to assess future medical care needs. The aim of this study was to determine whether the Nascher score and a revised version can predict future medical needs., Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 396 residents in long-term care hospitals, who were admitted over a period of two years and followed up to two and a half yeare, were analysed. Outcome parameters were: (1) number of medication changes, (2) number of ward doctor documentations and (3) number of acute illnesses treated with antibiotics, and mortality risk. Based on the first results, an alternative scoring of the Nascher score with 12 instead of 26 items was developed, called the revised Nascher score., Results: The Nascher score significantly correlated with the number of medication changes, the number of ward doctor documentations, and the number of acute ilnesses treated with antibiotics with Spearman correlation coefficients of 0.30, 0.26, and 0.15, respectively. The revised Nascher score showed a higher correlation with correlation coefficients of 0.36, 0.26, and 0.21, respectively. Residents with a Nascher score in the highest quartile had a significantly higher mortality risk than residents in the lowest quartile (hazard ratio, HR 2.97, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.80-4.34). The corresponding values for the revised Nascher score were HR 3.03, 95% CI 2.03-4.54 in the highest and HR 1.80, 95% CI 1.24-2.60 in the middle quartiles., Conclusion: The Nascher score and even more so the revised Nascher score are well suited to predicting the various parameters of future medical needs and mortality risk., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Monitoring survey methods, as well as movement recommendations, evolves over time. These changes can make trend observations over time difficult. The aim of this study was to examine the differences between 2 computer-assisted survey administration methods and the effect of the omission of the 10-minute minimum bout requirement in physical activity (PA) questions on PA outcomes., Methods: We used data from the second Austrian PA Surveillance System for 2998 adults (18-64 y), applying computer-assisted personal interviewing and computer-assisted web interviewing. Within the computer-assisted web interviewing sample only, we added PA questions without the 10-minute requirement. Quantile and logistic regressions were applied., Results: Between computer-assisted web interviewing and computer-assisted personal interviewing, within the computer-assisted personal interviewing sample, we found lower PA estimates in the leisure domain and work and household domain, but not in the travel domain, and no significant difference in the proportion of people meeting the PA recommendations. In all 3 PA domains, the median minutes did not differ when assessed with or without the 10-minute requirement. However, the percentage participation in the travel domain and work and household domain performing >0 minutes per week PA was higher when there was no 10-minute requirement. The proportion of people meeting the Austrian aerobic recommendation for adults when computed with or without the 10-minute requirement did not differ., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the omission of the 10-minute requirement does not seem to result in marked differences in PA estimates or the proportion of adults meeting the recommendations.

The climate crisis is developing into a life-changing event on a global level. Health promotion with the aim to increase the health status of individuals, independent of the present health status, has been developed on a scientific basis at least for the last eight decades. There are some basic principles which are prerequisites for both health promotion and climate protection. Those principles include (1) sustainability, (2) orientation on determinants, and (3) requirement of individual as well as community approaches. People are generally aiming to protect their lifestyle habits (e.g., traveling and consumer habits) and personal property (e.g., car and house) with easy solutions and as little effort as possible, and this can affect both health and climate. To reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and to protect our environment, changes towards a sustainable lifestyle have to be embedded into everybody's mind. Examples for domains that need to be addressed in health promotion as well as in climate protection include (health and climate) literacy, physical activity and active mobility, and nutrition and dietary habits. If health promotion fails to tackle those domains, this will continue to drive the climate crisis. And climate change, in turn, will affect health. On the other hand, developing and promoting health resources in the domains mentioned could help to mitigate the health-damaging effects of climate change. Success in the joint efforts to promote health and protect the climate would improve the One Health approach, the health of people and the environment.

Introduction: Obesity is a multifactorial chronic disease that cannot be addressed by simply promoting better diets and more physical activity. To date, not a single country has successfully been able to curb the accumulating burden of obesity. One explanation for the lack of progress is that lifestyle intervention programs are traditionally implemented without a comprehensive evaluation of an individual's diagnostic biomarkers. Evidence from genome-wide association studies highlight the importance of genetic and epigenetic factors in the development of obesity and how they in turn affect the transcriptome, metabolites, microbiomes, and proteomes., Objective: The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the different types of omics data: genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and illustrate how a multi-omics approach can be fundamental for the implementation of precision obesity management., Results: The different types of omics designs are grouped into two categories, the genotype approach and the phenotype approach. When applied to obesity prevention and management, each omics type could potentially help to detect specific biomarkers in people with risk profiles and guide healthcare professionals and decision makers in developing individualized treatment plans according to the needs of the individual before the onset of obesity., Conclusion: Integrating multi-omics approaches will enable a paradigm shift from the one size fits all approach towards precision obesity management, i.e. (1) precision prevention of the onset of obesity, (2) precision medicine and tailored treatment of obesity, and (3) precision risk reduction and prevention of secondary diseases related to obesity., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: A EULAR taskforce was convened to develop recommendations for lifestyle behaviours amongst people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). This paper reviews the literature on work-related factors and disease-specific outcomes for people with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus, axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), psoriatic arthritis, systemic sclerosis (SSc) and gout., Methods: Two separate systematic literature reviews (SLRs) were conducted. The first identified SLRs, published between 01/2013 and 09/2018. The second identified original observational and intervention studies published before 05/2019. Manuscripts were included if they assessed the effects of vocational interventions on disease-specific outcomes (i.e. clinical outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, and work outcomes) or if they assessed the association between work-related factors and these outcomes. Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library of systematic reviews and CENTRAL databases were searched., Results: Two SLRs were identified including individuals with SSc and inflammatory arthritis. Subsequently, 23 original manuscripts were identified, with most of them (43.5%) including people with RA and no manuscripts on gout. Most observational studies evaluated the association between work-related factors and work outcomes while limited information was available on the impact of work on clinical outcomes. A few studies suggested that physically demanding jobs have a small detrimental effect on radiographic progression in axSpA and PsA. Intervention studies showed beneficial effects of vocational interventions for disease-specific outcomes, but with small effect sizes., Conclusion: Many studies indicated that work participation is not likely to be detrimental and, in some cases, may be beneficial for RMD-specific outcomes and should therefore receive attention within healthcare consultations., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Physical activity (PA) surveillance, policy, and research efforts need to be periodically appraised to gain insight into national and global capacities for PA promotion. The aim of this paper was to assess the status and trends in PA surveillance, policy, and research in 164 countries., Methods: We used data from the Global Observatory for Physical Activity (GoPA!) 2015 and 2020 surveys. Comprehensive searches were performed for each country to determine the level of development of their PA surveillance, policy, and research, and the findings were verified by the GoPA! Country Contacts. Trends were analyzed based on the data available for both survey years., Results: The global 5-year progress in all 3 indicators was modest, with most countries either improving or staying at the same level. PA surveillance, policy, and research improved or remained at a high level in 48.1%, 40.6%, and 42.1% of the countries, respectively. PA surveillance, policy, and research scores decreased or remained at a low level in 8.3%, 15.8%, and 28.6% of the countries, respectively. The highest capacity for PA promotion was found in Europe, the lowest in Africa and low- and lower-middle-income countries. Although a large percentage of the world's population benefit from at least some PA policy, surveillance, and research efforts in their countries, 49.6 million people are without PA surveillance, 629.4 million people are without PA policy, and 108.7 million live in countries without any PA research output. A total of 6.3 billion people or 88.2% of the world's population live in countries where PA promotion capacity should be significantly improved., Conclusion: Despite PA is essential for health, there are large inequalities between countries and world regions in their capacity to promote PA. Coordinated efforts are needed to reduce the inequalities and improve the global capacity for PA promotion.

The Austrian periodic health examination (PHE) was introduced in 1974 as a health insurance benefit and was redesigned for the last time in 2005. Therefore, the aim of this work was to revise the scientific basis of the PHE using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach. We updated the scientific evidence of examinations and consultations that are currently part of the PHE and searched and integrated new examinations. We assessed the expectations of the population towards the PHE in three focus groups. A panel of experts developed evidence-based recommendations for the revised PHE. They formulated 26 recommendations on 20 target diseases or risk factors. In comparison to the previous PHE, the panel added screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm, osteoporotic fracture risk, and chronic kidney disease to the recommendations, while screening for asymptomatic bacteriuria, screening for iron deficiency/pernicious anaemia, and risk identification of glaucoma should no longer be included.

Objectives: The prevalence of frailty has been widely researched in the elderly population. However, data about people of working age are scarce. The aim of this paper was to assess the prevalence of prefrailty and frailty in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients of working age, and to assess factors associated with prefrailty/frailty., Methods: In this monocentric cross-sectional study, 100 RA patients aged 18-65 years were included. Frailty was measured with the Frailty Instrument for Primary Care of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-FI) and disease activity with the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI). In addition, disease duration (years), pain intensity (visual analogue scale) and employment status were also assessed., Results: Fifty-five percent were robust, 30% prefrail and 15% were frail. Eighty-nine of the prefrail/frail individuals suffered from exhaustion. Compared to robust individuals, the prefrail/frail individuals had significantly higher median scores in disease activity [4.0 (Q25-Q75: 0-10) vs. 11 (Q25-Q75: 6-18)] and pain intensity [3.0 (Q25-Q75: 2.0-4.0) vs. 4.0 (Q25-Q75: 2.8-6.3)] and a higher rate of unemployment [31% vs. 53%]. In the multivariable analysis, higher disease activity (ß=0.444; p<0.001), unemployment (ß=0.243; p=0.005), higher pain intensity (ß=0.186; p=0.060) and longer disease duration (ß=0.181; p=0.020) were associated with a higher frailty score., Conclusions: Frailty is common in RA patients, even those of working age. As the prevalence of frailty increases with age, it is important to take this syndrome into account in younger persons and to take action to counteract frailty.

Background: The aims were to study the differences in work-disability in patients with low back pain (LBP) in relation to (i) treatment provided (non-surgical or lumber spine surgery (decompression or fusion), and (ii) two time points, i.e. before and after the social insurance regulation changes in the in 2008., Methods: All non-pensioned individuals, aged 19-60 years, living in Sweden, diagnosed with LBP in 2004-06 or 2008-10 were included (n = 153739). Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals for long-term sickness absence (>90 days, LTSA) and disability pension (DP) for LBP-patients (non-surgical, decompression, fusion, both surgeries) were estimated by Cox regression compared with the matched references from the general population without LBP (n = 566008)., Results: LBP-patients had a higher risk of subsequent work-disability compared with the references before and after insurance regulation changes. LBP-patients receiving decompression surgery had similar risk for later work-disability as those treated non-surgically. However, following regulation changes, LBP-patients undergoing fusion surgery had higher risk estimates of both LTSA (HR: 3.3) and DP (HR: 4.8) than patients treated non-surgically (HR: LTSA 2.1; DP 2.5) or with decompression (HR: LTSA 2.6; DP 2.1). In the adjusted models, risk estimates mainly attenuated after controlling for previous sickness absence., Conclusion: Risk for subsequent work-disability among LBP-patients was higher compared with people without LBP and lumbar spine surgery. Discrepancies in risk were explained by the treatment provided previous sickness absence and changes in the social insurance regulations, specifically LBP-patients treated with fusion surgery had an increased risk of subsequent work-disability after changes in regulations., (© The Author 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.)

Background: Frailty is a geriatric syndrome, which is highly prevalent in community-dwelling older adults and is associated with a variety of unwanted health outcomes, including dependency and institutionalization. Physical activity (PA) interventions may be of great importance in frail people to improve the frailty status, muscle strength, physical performance and muscle mass., Methods: A narrative review of randomized-controlled trails was performed, including frail and prefrail community-dwelling older adults. Included were studies with different PA interventions, such as aerobic activity, strength and balance training, stretching, and a combination of these methods., Results: Overall, 14 studies were included. The PA interventions led to a significant reduction in the frailty status (3/5 studies), to an increase in muscle strength (4/8 studies), to improved physical performance (7/11 studies), and to an increase in muscle mass (1/4 studies), when compared to the control group. The studies analyzed differed in various aspects of study protocols (training protocol, intensity, frequency, follow-up time, measuring tools) and delivery method of intervention (health professionals, lay volunteers, at home in health care institutions)., Conclusions: Although it was not consistently reported in the studies that PA interventions are successful in increasing muscle mass in frail and prefrail older people, the results support the effectiveness of PA interventions on the reduction of frailty, and the increase in muscle strength and physical performance.

Background: We report on the correlation between the proportion of people who fulfil the recommended amount of aerobic physical activity in the general population and the prevalence of frailty or prefrailty in the population ≥65 years in 11 European countries (Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden). In a subgroup analysis, it was assessed if people who do aerobic physical activity also do strength training., Methods: Aggregated physical activity data were taken from the European Health Interview Survey with the minimum effective sample size of 90,036 participants. Data on frailty status were taken from the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) study (N = 24,590). For the subgroup analysis, data of the Austrian Health Interview Survey (ATHIS) (N = 15,770) were included., Results: The results indicate a significant negative correlation between the proportion of people fulfilling the minimal aerobic physical activity recommendations (≥150 min/week) and the proportion of prefrail or frail people (R = -0.745; p = 0.008). The correlation between the optimal aerobic physical activity recommendations (≥300 min/week) and the proportion of prefrail or frail individuals was R = -0.691 (p = 0.019). In both data sets a north-south gradient was seen. Austrian data showed that 52.0% of the participants fulfilled the minimal aerobic physical activity recommendations and conducted strength training, whereas 18.4% did not fulfil the aerobic recommendations but performed strength training (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: By taking into account that the number of people ≥65 years will increase in the future these results may be relevant in planning public health interventions for the whole population with the goal of reducing frailty in the elderly.

Aim: The aim of the study was to describe the association between fulfilling the recommendation for health-enhancing physical activity (PA), and deficits in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in 3308 subjects aged 65+ years from the Austrian Health Interview Survey 2014., Methods: The proportion of subjects who fulfilled the minimal recommendations for health-enhancing PA was assessed with the Physical Activity Questionnaire of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS-PAQ). The ADLs were assessed based on the Barthel index, and IADLs by the IADL scale of Lawton and Brody. Additionally, various sociodemographic and health-related factors were assessed., Results: Of the participants 54.7% did not fulfil the minimal requirements for aerobic PA, and 67.1% not for muscle strengthening PA, 16.4% reported ADL deficits, and 47.1% IADL deficits. Adjusted for sociodemographic and health-related parameters, not fulfilling the recommendations for aerobe PA was associated with a higher chance for ADL deficits (odds ratio, OR 1.73, 95%-confidence interval 1.36-2.21), and IADL deficits (1.57; 1.34-1.84). Not fulfilling the recommendations for muscle strengthening PA also increased the chance for ADL and IADLs deficits (1.34; 1.04-1.72, and 1.29; 1.09-1.53, respectively)., Conclusion: The number of participants who did not fulfil the minimal requirements for aerobic or strengthening PA was very high, and these participants showed significantly more problems in ADLs and IADLs. Therefore, all future efforts should focus on increasing participation and adherence in exercise programs for older people with the intention to improve their performance status and functions in daily life.

Background: Physical activity (PA) is an important tool in health promotion, prevention, curation, and rehabilitation and should be part of general practitioners (GP) consultations. For tailoring GP's service it is important to know the PA habits of the clients., Methods: Data from the Austrian Health Interview Survey 2014 with 15,770 subjects were analyzed. The association between PA, measured with the Physical Activity Questionnaire of the European Health Intervies Survey (EHIS-PAQ) and having visited a GP within the last 4 weeks was examined in different age groups (15-29, 30-64, and 65+ years). In multivariate analyses we adjusted for sociodemographic and health-related variables (body mass index, 17 chronic diseases, and the use of medication)., Results: In subjects aged 15-29 years and 30-64 years fulfilling aerobic PA recommendations was significantly associated with a lower chance of having consulted the GP with unadjusted OR (95% CI) 0.82 (0.70-0.96) and 0.90 (0.82-0.99), respectively, whereas work-related PA was associated with a higher chance, with OR 1.21 (1.03-1.42) and 1.10 (1.00-1.20), respectively. Adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related factors led to loss of significance. In subjects aged 30-64 years, muscle strengthening PA was associated with a higher chance for GP consultation with OR 1.12 (1.00-1.24) in the fully adjusted model. In subjects aged 65+ years, PA was associated with a lower chance of having visited the GP with OR 0.74 (0.64-0.86) and 0.83 (0.71-0.97) for work related PA and total PA, respectively, in the fully adjusted model., Conclusion: The association of PA and GP consultation is dependent on age and type of PA, and partly mediated by sociodemographic and health-related factors.

Aims: Scientific knowledge about risk factors for work disability in terms of long-term sickness absence and disability pension following lumbar spine decompression surgery remains insufficient. This study aimed to investigate the associations between socio-demographic, work-related, and medical characteristics with subsequent long-term sickness absence (>90 days) and disability pension for individuals who underwent lumbar spine decompression surgery., Methods: A prospective cohort study of all individuals aged 19-60 years with diagnosed dorsopathies, who underwent lumbar spine decompression surgery 2008-10 in Sweden ( n=7373) was performed. Univariate and multivariate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals regarding long-term sickness absence and disability pension with a 3-year follow-up period were estimated by Cox proportional regression., Results: Low educational level, being a non-European immigrant and preoperative sickness absence were risk factors for both long-term sickness absence and disability pension (hazard ratios: 1.2-3.8). Female sex was a risk factor for long-term sickness absence (hazard ratios: 1.3) whereas age >44 years and being a Nordic immigrant were risk factors for disability pension (hazard ratios: 1.9-2.6). Medical factors as common mental disorders, other mental disorders, prescribed psychiatric medication and somatic comorbidity were risk factors for both long-term sickness absence and disability pension (hazard ratios: 1.2-3.4). A simultaneous lumbar fusion surgery and high preoperative pain severity were risk factors for long-term sickness absence (hazard ratios 1.2-1.8)., Conclusions: To prevent long-term work disability after lumbar spine decompression surgery, specific focus is required on older and female patients, those with mental or somatic comorbidities, high levels of preoperative pain or sickness absence, with a simultaneous lumbar fusion surgery, a low educational level or a non-European immigrant background.

We aimed to assess the subjective sleep quality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its correlation with disease activity, pain, inflammatory parameters, and functional disability. In a cross-sectional study, patients with confirmed RA diagnosis responded to a questionnaire (consisting of socio-demographic data, the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index, and the Medical Outcome Study Sleep Scale). Disease activity was assessed with the Clinical Disease Activity Index, and pain levels using the visual analogue scale. In addition, inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha) were analyzed. Ninety-five patients were analyzed, predominantly female, with an average age of 50.59 (9.61) years. Fifty-seven percent reported non-optimal sleep duration, where functional disability (92.7% vs. 69.8%; p = 0.006) and higher median pain levels (3.75 (2.3⁻6.0) vs. 2.5 (2.0⁻3.5); p = 0.003) were also more prevalent. No differences in sociodemographic variables, disease duration or activity, inflammatory parameters, or use of biological and corticosteroid therapy were observed. The multivariate regression analysis showed that more intense pain was associated with a lower likelihood of optimal sleep (odds ratio (OR) = 0.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47⁻0.98, p = 0.038). Patients with RA report a high prevalence of non-optimal sleep, which is linked to pain level. Clinicians need to be aware of this issue and the potential effects on health and functional status.

Humans evolved on potassium-rich diets containing only small amounts of sodium. Nowadays, sodium intake considerably exceeds potassium intake. However, from the evolutionary point of view we are not accustomed to such high salt (sodium chloride) ingestion. The consequences of a high dietary salt intake are primarily elevated blood pressure with a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases, but also a higher probability of developing kidney diseases and stomach cancer. High sodium consumption is favored by an extremely 'salty' environment, where palatable salty food is frequently available promoting a dietary salt overload of the human body. To efficiently achieve a consistent reduction in dietary salt intake, sodium content of food should be reduced and eating behavior modified. This review covers both of these aspects, including the reasons why we are not 'programmed' to cope with high salt loads, the clinical consequences of a high salt consumption and the possibilities of reducing dietary salt intake and getting rid of the 'salty' environment., (© 2014 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.)

Objective: To examine health satisfaction and its predictors in subjects with and without chronic low back pain., Subjects: Data for subjects aged 15-64 years were sourced from an Austrian representative population-based nationwide survey including 6,194 men and 6,183 women., Methods: Health satisfaction and its determinants were assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF)., Results: Prevalence of chronic low back pain was 8.0% (range 7.6-8.3%; 95% confidence interval (CI)) in men and 8.8% (range 8.5-9.2%) in women. The proportion of men, with and without chronic low back pain, who were dissatisfied with their health was 22.5% and 5.7% (p < 0.001), respectively, and in women 28.3% and 5.4% (p < 0.001), respectively. In subjects with chronic low back pain a multi-variate analysis revealed "not needing medical treatment to function in daily life" with odds ratio (OR) (95% CI) of 6.3 (2.6-15.3) and 4.2 (2.1-8.5) as the strongest predictor for health satisfaction in men and women, respectively. In men additionally "satisfaction with one's sex life" and "satisfaction with work capacity", OR: 6.6 (2.9-14.8) and 3.7 (1.5-9.3)were predictors for health satisfaction. In women, however "satisfaction with living conditions" OR: 3.7 (1.7-7.9) was an additional predictor., Conclusion: Important determinants for health satisfaction are aspects of life such as independence and managing daily activities. These aspects can be influenced by existing therapy options.