Cross-sectional survey uncovers three distinct functional disability profiles in persistent neck pain, indicating meaningful patient heterogeneity beyond total disability scores.
Key Points
To identify latent classes with distinct functional disability profiles in patients with persistent neck pain using item-level Neck Disability Index responses and to assess associated clinical, demographic, and lifestyle factors.
Analyzed cross-sectional survey data from 962 patients presenting with persistent neck pain (mean age 50 [SD 32.5] years; 67% women).
Conducted latent class analysis using 10 dichotomized items from the Neck Disability Index as indicator variables.
Identified three latent classes: mild or no disability (47%), moderate disability limited to reading, driving, and lifting (15%), and pervasive severe disability (37%).
Lower educational attainment, obesity, physical inactivity, higher pain intensity, and lower occupational status were significantly associated with membership in the severe disability class.