Skip to main content

Table 2 Outcomes and statistical methods

From: Potential treatment effect modifiers for manipulative therapy for children complaining of spinal pain.Secondary analyses of a randomised controlled trial

Outcomes

Definition

Statistical method

Number of recurrences of spinal pain (3–27 months follow up) in relation to individual follow-up time

i) A positive answer on the weekly SMS for spinal pain

ii) Minimum of 1 week without report of spinal pain prior to the recurrence

A hierarchical negative binomial regression model with pain free weeks included as exposure time.

Intervention effects were expressed as incidence rate ratios

Length of spinal pain episodes

The number of consecutive weeks the child was affected by spinal pain

A mixed effects linear regression model with subject as random effect, outcome log transformed. Intervention effects were expressed as β-coefficient

Total number of pain weeks in relation to individual follow-up time

Total number of weeks a child was affected by spinal pain in the entire follow-up period

A hierarchical negative binomial regression model with follow-up time included as exposure time.

Intervention effects were expressed as incidence rate ratio

Global perceived effect after 2 weeks

Dichotomized into two groups: “Much better” (1) and “Slightly better, the same or worse” (2 to 7).

A logistic regression model.

Intervention effects were expressed as odds ratios

Change in pain intensity after 2 weeks

Rated on an 11-point Numerical Rating Scale with ‘0’ being ‘worst pain’ and ‘10’ being ‘no pain’

A linear regression model.

Intervention effects were expressed as β-coefficient