Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether clinical, functional, and psychosocial factors are associated with walking time in patients with chronic low back pain.

Methods: This study included patients aged ≥18 years with low back pain for at least 3 months who visited our outpatient clinic between October 2017 and February 2018. We used the following scales/questionnaires: International Physical Activity Questionnaire for self-reported walking time, Numerical Pain Rating Scale for pain intensity, self-report assessing symptom duration, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire for disability, Patient-Specific Functional Scale for function, Pain Catastrophizing Scale for pain catastrophizing, and screening questions to assess depression and anxiety. Odds ratios (ORs) with their respective 95% CIs were obtained using logistic regression analysis.

Results: Neither clinical nor functional factors were associated with the total walking time. Among psychosocial factors, only anxiety showed a negative association with the total walking time (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.06-0.82)-an association that persisted even after adjusting for confounders (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.03-0.77).

Conclusion: Anxiety was shown to be associated with the total walking time in patients with CLBP. No clinical or functional factors seem to be associated with walking in this study sample.

Author keywords: Exercise; Gait; Chronic Pain; Activities of Daily Living; Mobility Limitation

Author affiliations: LFSF, WMDSJ: Graduate Program in Physical Education, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristovão, Sergipe, Brazil; MMBS: Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristovão, Sergipe, Brazil; CVT, HdSL, JPDFN: Department of Physiotherapy, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristovão, Sergipe, Brazil

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