Materials and Method: In this study, 66 geriatric women with chronic low back pain attending to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic were included. Demographic and clinical data including body mass index of each patient were noted. Fear-avoidance beliefs, pain intensity, presence of depression, disability due to low back pain were assessed using the Fear- Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, Visual Analogue Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, Rolland Morris Disability Questionnaire, respectively.
Results: In the current study, the majority of patients (84.8%) were found to have fear-avoidance beliefs. Most of the patients participating the study were overweight or obese (95.5%). 22.7% of patients were found to have moderate or definite depression. Fear- avoidance beliefs were associated with higher body mass index, depression, higher disability and vice versa, (Spearman"s rho=0.255, p=0.039; Spearman"s rho=0.386, p=0.001; Spearman"s rho= 0.448, p<0.001, respectively).
Conclusion: Fear-avoidance beliefs, obesity and depression are common in geriatric women with chronic low back pain and are associated with higher disability. To break the vicious circle between these conditions, all these factors should be considered in the evaluation and management of geriatric women with chronic low back pain.
Keywords : Geriatrics; Low Back Pain; Chronic Pain; Women; Obesity; Depression