Clinical Measurement Unit

Effects of a media campaign on back pain beliefs and its potential influence on management of low back pain in general practice

A/Prof Rachelle Buchbinder, A/Prof Damien Jolley, Dr Mary Wyatt

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a population based, state-wide public health intervention, run by the Victorian Workcover Authority (VWA), designed to alter beliefs about back pain, influence medical management, and reduce disability and the cost of compensation.  4730 members of the general population were randomly surveyed via computer-assisted telephone interviews before the campaign commenced and two and two and a half years after the campaign onset.  Half of the participants surveyed were in NSW where the campaign was not seen and half in Victoria where the campaign was situated.  Results (as shown in the publications below) showed that in the intervention state (Victoria) beliefs about back pain became more positive between successive surveys.  Beliefs about back pain also improved among doctors and there was a clear decline in the number of compensation claims for back pain, rates of days compensated, and medical payments for claims for back pain over the duration of the campaign.

Publications arising from the initial study:

BuchbinderR, Jolley D, Wyatt M.  Population based intervention to change back pain beliefs and disability: three part evaluation. BMJ 2001;322:1516-1520.

Buchbinder R, Jolley D, Wyatt M. 2001 Volvo award winner in clinical studies: effects of a media campaign on back pain beliefs and its potential influence on management of low back pain in general practice. Spine 2001;26(23): 2535-42

Buchbinder R, Jolley D, Wyatt M. Breaking the back of back pain. Med J Aust 2001;175:456-7

Buchbinder R,Jolley D, Wyatt M. Role of the media in disability management. In: Preventing and Managing Disability at Work. Eds: Sullivan T, Frank J. Taylor and Francis Ltd. 2003.

Publications arising from follow up study:

Buchbinder R, Jolley D. Population-based intervention to change back pain beliefs: a three-year follow up study. BMJ 2004 328 (7435): 321

Buchbinder R, Jolley D. Effects of a media campaign on back beliefs is sustained three years after its cessation. Spine 2004 (in press)

Buchbinder R. Managing disability by public policy initiatives. The power of belief: Psychosocial Influence on Illness, Disability and Medicine. Eds: Halligan PW, Aylward M. 2004 (in press).