Table 1 Descriptive analysis of demographic variables for whole study sample and across STarT Back Tool risk subgroups for patients presenting for chiropractic care (n = 550)
Variables | n for whole sample | Whole Sample | n for select variable across STarT Back subgroup | STarT Back Risk Subgroup | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Low | Medium | High | ||||
Age-mean (SD) | 529 | 44.8 (15.9) | Â | 42.4 (15.4) | 50.9 (17.1) | 45.1 (13.6) |
Sex-n (%) | 536 | Â | 486 | Â | Â | Â |
 Male |  | 230 (42.9) |  | 166 (43.2) | 33 (41.3) | 11 (50.0) |
 Female |  | 305 (56.9) |  | 217 (56.5) | 47 (58.8) | 11 (50 |
 Prefer not to answer |  | 0 (0.0) |  | 0 (0.0 | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
 Prefer to self-describe |  | 1 (0.2) |  | 1 (0.3) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
Race-n (%) | 524 | Â | 475 | Â | Â | Â |
 Native American or Alaskan Native |  | 2 (0.4) |  | 1 (0.3) | 1 (0.3) | 0 (0.0) |
 Asian |  | 6 (1.1) |  | 3 (0.8) | 2 (2.5) | 0 (0.0) |
 Black or African American |  | 27 (5.2) |  | 13 (3.5) | 6 (7.5) | 4 (18.2) |
 Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander |  | 1 (0.2) |  | 1 (0.3) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
 White |  | 462 (88.2) |  | 337 (90.3) | 67 (83.8) | 16 (72.7) |
  > 1 race |  | 26 (5.0) |  | 18 (4.8) | 4 (5.0) | 2 (9.1) |
Ethnicity-n (%) | 498 | Â | 453 | Â | Â | Â |
 Hispanic/Latino |  | 33 (6.6) |  | 23 (6.4) | 6 (8.0) | 2 (10.5) |
 Non-Hispanic/non-Latino |  | 465 (93.4) |  | 336 (93.6) | 69 (92.0) | 17 (89.5) |
Employment status-n (%) | 511 | Â | 468 | Â | Â | Â |
 Full-time |  | 251 (49.1) |  | 201 (54.0) | 23 (31.1) | 11 (50.0) |
 Part-time |  | 69 (13.5) |  | 54 (14.5) | 9 (12.2) | 1 (4.5) |
 Full-time student |  | 64 (11.6) |  | 53 (14.2) | 5 (6.8) | 1 (4.5) |
 Unemployed |  | 127 (24.9) |  | 64 (17.2) | 37 (50) | 9 (40.9) |
Occupation-n (%) | 514 | Â | 467 | Â | Â | Â |
 Educator |  | 40 (7.8) |  | 36 (9.7) | 2 (2.7) | 0 (0.0) |
 Health care professional |  | 61 (11.9) |  | 48 (12.9) | 6 (8.1) | 1 (0.0) |
 Active duty military |  | 36 (7.0) |  | 29 (7.8) | 4 (5.4) | 0 (0.0) |
 Law enforcement |  | 2 (0.4) |  | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.4) | 1 (4.5) |
 Computer technology |  | 16 (3.1) |  | 12 (3.2) | 1 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) |
 Transportation industry |  | 9 (1.8) |  | 8 (2.2) | 1 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) |
 Agriculture |  | 10 (1.9) |  | 5 (1.3) | 2 (2.7) | 0 (0.0) |
 Other |  | 340 (66.1) |  | 233 (62.8) | 57 (77.0) | 20 (90.9) |
Marital status-n (%) | 534 | Â | 484 | Â | Â | Â |
 Never been married |  | 147 (27.5) |  | 106 (27.7) | 19 (24.1) | 6 (27.3) |
 Married/living with significant other |  | 294 (55.1) |  | 221 (57.7) | 45 (57.0) | 6 (27.3) |
 Divorced |  | 75 (14.0) |  | 48 (12.5) | 11 (13.9) | 8 (36.4) |
 Widow |  | 18 (3.4) |  | 8 (2.1) | 4 (5.1) | 2 (9.1) |
Primary symptom area-n (%) | 549 | Â | 495 | Â | Â | Â |
 Low back pain |  | 136 (24.8) |  | 89 (22.8) | 30 (37.0) | 8 (34.8) |
 Neck pain |  | 80 (14.6) |  | 66 (16.9) | 4 (4.9) | 2 (8.7) |
 Mid-back pain |  | 52 (9.5) |  | 42 (10.7) | 4 (4.9) | 2 (8.7) |
 Other |  | 132 (24.0) |  | 109 (27.9) | 10 (12.3) | 0 (0.0) |
  > 1 region |  | 149 (27.1) |  | 85 (21.7) | 33 (40.7) | 11 (47.8) |
Current episode duration-n (%) | 548 | Â | 494 | Â | Â | Â |
 n/a |  | 46 (8.4) |  | 38 (9.7) | 2 (2.5) | 0 (0.0) |
  < 2 weeks |  | 60 (10.9) |  | 46 (11.8) | 7 (8.8) | 4 (17.4) |
 2–4 weeks |  | 43 (7.8) |  | 32 (8.2) | 3 (3.8) | 2 (8.7) |
 5–12 weeks |  | 59 (10.8) |  | 40 (10.2) | 10 (12.5) | 2 (8.7) |
 13 weeks – 1 year |  | 71 (13.0) |  | 52 (13.3) | 12 (15.0) | 2 (8.7) |
  > 1 year |  | 269 (49.1) |  | 183 (46.8) | 46 (57.5) | 13 (56.5) |
Chiropractic care duration-n (%) | 547 | Â | 493 | Â | Â | Â |
n/a or have not received chiropractic care for condition | Â | 52 (9.4) | Â | 39 (7.2) | 4 (4.9) | 1 (4.3) |
  < 2 weeks |  | 41 (7.5) |  | 29 (7.5) | 5 (6.2) | 2 (8.7) |
 2–4 weeks |  | 49 (9.0) |  | 34 (8.7) | 9 (11.1) | 1 (4.3) |
 5 to 12 weeks |  | 67 (12.2) |  | 50 (12.9) | 10 (12.3) | 2 (8.7) |
 13 weeks – 1 year |  | 78 (14.3) |  | 58 (14.9) | 9 (11.1) | 4 (17.4) |
  > 1 year |  | 260 (47.3) |  | 179 (46.0) | 44 (54.3) | 13 (56.5) |
Average pain in past 2 weeks-mean (SD) | 547 | 3.6 (2.2) |  | 3.0 (1.8) | 5.5 (1.8) | 7.3 (1.5) |
Most severe pain in past 2 weeks-mean (SD) | 547 | 5.1 (2.6) |  | 4.4 (2.4) | 7.2 (1.8) | 8.7 (1.3) |
Current pain-mean (SD) | 530 | 2.9 (2.1) | Â | 2.3 (1.8) | 4.6 (1.8) | 5.9 (2.6) |