Comparison of Italian- and German-speaking patients with chronic pain
Table II. Sample 1: SF-36 scores at baseline (T0), at discharge from the pain management programme (T1), at 3-month follow-up
(T2) and 6-month follow-up (T3) of German- (n = 136) and Italian-speaking patients (n = 35)
Difference discharge to baseline
Difference between 3-month follow-
(T1–T0)
up and baseline (T2–T0)
Baseline (T0)
Mean (SD)
Mean (SD)
SMD [95% CI] p-value Mean (SD)
SMD [95% CI] p-value
Mean (SD)
SF-36 Physical G 41.48 (21.09)
functioning
I 35.29 (17.49)
SF-36 Role
G 8.46 (19.30)
physical
I
2.14 (9.34)
SF-36 Bodily
G 19.55 (13.98)
pain
I 17.97 (10.48)
SF-36 General G 41.61 (16.83)
health
I 31.00 (10.76)
SF-36 Vitality G 24.81 (16.07)
I 30.94 (15.32)
SF-36 Social
G 43.09 (25.41)
functioning
I 31.66 (18.53)
SF-36 Role
G 31.09 (40.99)
emotional
I 12.37 (30.35)
SF-36 Mental
health
G 46.24 (19.83)
I 47.46 (18.81)
9.68 (18.65)
4.71 (15.86)
11.82 (30.45)
2.14 (17.54)
8.75 (16.08)
10.20 (13.51)
3.00 (14.08)
–0.14 (12.80)
14.73 (16.84)
3.06 (17.47)
11.85 (27.47)
12.54 (18.11)
13.12 (41.36)
9.51 (29.82)
0.321
[–0.050,0.692]
0.572
[0.197,0.947]
0.055
[–0.314,0.425]
0.524
[0.150,0.898]
0.598
[0.222,0.973]
0.408
[0.035,0.780]
0.423
[0.051,0.796]
0.084
0.002
0.769
0.004
0.001
0.027
0.022
9.85 (15.95) 0.323
0.082
5.51 (14.63) [–0.048,0.694]
7.38 (21.65)
3.48 (17.65)
12.13 (33.61)
1.52 (15.23)
8.92 (18.09)
3.33 (12.49)
1.36 (15.83)
–2.97 (12.75)
9.04 (16.12)
–2.59 (18.87)
8.97 (25.46)
4.88 (19.55)
12.99 (42.78)
15.12 (31.27)
0.237
[–0.142,0.617]
0.413
[0.032,0.794]
0.502
[0.120,0.884]
0.356
[–0.029,0.742]
0.577
[0.189,0.965]
0.450
[0.069,0.832]
0.197
[–0.183,0.576]
5.97 (16.49) 0.623
–3.03 (18.72) [0.234,1.012]
0.216
0.029
0.007
0.064
0.002
0.017
0.306
0.001
Difference between 6-month
follow-up and baseline (T3–T0)
Mean (SD) SMD 95% CI] p-value
8.13 (21.36)
0.00 (19.29)
8.27 (32.35)
0.00 (12.13)
7.49 (20.73)
–1.00 (14.87)
2.86 (17.34)
–3.57 (13.91)
7.44 (17.98)
–5.80 (18.09)
5.67 (28.47)
–1.46 (16.80)
8.12 (46.54)
10.46 (37.76) 0.436
[0.064,0.809]
0.404
[0.031,0.776]
0.465
[0.092,0.839]
0.481
[0.108,0.855]
0.612
[0.237,0.988]
0.371
[–0.001,0.743]
0.175
[–0.195,0.546]
0.018
0.029
0.011
0.009
0.001
0.045
0.350
3.43 (17.59) 0.465
0.011
–5.29 (19.19) [0.092,0.838]
Mean: arithmetic mean; SD: standard deviation; SMD: standardized mean difference; 95% CI: 95% confidence interval; p-value: statistical significance comparing
German- with Italian-speaking patients; SF-36: Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 Health Survey; G: German-speaking patients, I: Italian-speaking patients.
Outcome and comparison of score changes (baseline
to follow-up)
At baseline, physical and psychosocial health for the
ISP were worse than for the GSP in both samples,
with the exception of less vitality and mental health
in sample 1 (Table II) and less pain in sample 2 (Table
III). However, the differences in the baseline scores
were not statistically tested for significance because
the baseline scores were included in the multivariate
analysis as confounders.
Immediately after the programme at discharge (T1),
GSP improved on all scales in both samples. ISP im-
proved on 7/8 scales in sample 1 and 6/8 in sample
2. However, the 3 negative score changes were very
small (≥ –0.51 score points). In sample 1, the GSP
improved most on Vitality (mean m=14.73), whereas
the ISP improved most on Social functioning (12.54).
In the following course (T2, T3, T4), the improve-
ments decreased slightly for the GSP but more mar-
kedly for the ISP with increasing time. For example,
in Bodily pain, the score changes were 8.75 (T1)/8.92
(T2)/7.49 (T3) for the GSP, but 10.20/3.33/–1.00 for
the ISP in sample 1. In sample 2, the corresponding
score changes were 8.27 (T1)/8.22 (T4) for GSP and
7.51/2.25 for ISP. At the 6-month follow-up (T3), 8/8
score changes showed improvement in the GSP, while
5/8 showed worsening, and 2/8 showed no change in
the ISP. At the 12-month follow-up (T4), 8/8 score
changes showed improvement in the GSP, while 7/8
showed worsening in the ISP.
Table III. Sample 2: SF-36 scores at baseline (T0), at discharge from the pain management programme (T1), and at the 12 month
follow-up (T4) of German- (n = 63) and Italian-speaking patients (n = 62)
Mean (SD)
SF-36 Physical functioning
SF-36 Role physical
SF-36 Bodily pain
SF-36 General health
SF-36 Vitality
SF-36 Social functioning
SF-36 Role emotional
131
SF-36 Mental health
G
I
G
I
G
I
G
I
G
I
G
I
G
I
G
I
Baseline (T0) Difference from discharge to baseline (T1–T0) Difference of 1 year follow-up to baseline
(T4–T0)
Mean (SD) Mean (SD) SMD 95% [CI] p-value Mean (SD) SMD [95% CI] p-value
43.33
37.46
26.95
17.70
16.81
18.33
39.38
30.25
26.78
24.36
40.29
37.49
45.10
29.89
46.35
39.26 6.43 (17.45)
1.30 (15.58)
9.67 (20.13)
3.77 (26.06)
8.27 (15.59)
7.51 (9.45)
3.84 (18.43)
–0.08 (15.67)
10.75 (17.98)
5.82 (17.19)
10.06 (22.91)
5.31 (23.98)
4.25 (27.43)
–0.51 (31.33)
6.83 (14.65)
4.18 (19.58) 0.543 [0.186,0.899] 0.002 0.491 [0.131,0.851] 0.005
0.531 [0.175,0.887] 0.002 0.558 [0.196,0.919] 0.001
–0.030 [–0.379,0.320] 0.868 0.712 [0.351,1.073] 0.000 0.429 [0.076,0.783] 0.014 0.239 [–0.112,0.590] 0.177 0.473 [0.118,0.827] 0.007 0.230 [–0.121,0.581] 0.193 4.76 (17.52)
–0.69 (19.41)
5.86 (19.28)
–1.31 (20.99)
8.22 (20.90)
2.25 (14.67)
0.38 (18.89)
–2.97 (15.24)
4.73 (19.13)
–0.19 (20.27)
3.59 (32.56)
–3.48 (25.00)
2.78 (32.70)
–6.16 (39.26)
4.44 (20.93)
–3.62 (23.15)
(19.18)
(18.97)
(15.31)
(18.17)
(12.99)
(12.46)
(17.66)
(14.13)
(14.70)
(17.12)
(26.33)
(24.86)
(30.90)
(30.55)
(22.17)
(20.39)
0.263 [–0.093,0.619] 0.141
0.441 [0.082,0.800] 0.012
0.479 [0.120,0.839] 0.007
0.231 [–0.125,0.586] 0.198
0.473 [0.114,0.833] 0.007
0.575 [0.213,0.937] 0.001
Mean: arithmetic mean; SD: standard deviation; SMD: standardized mean difference; CI: 95% confidence interval; p-value: statistical significance comparing
German- with Italian-speaking patients; SF-36: Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 Health Survey; G: German-speaking patients; I: Italian-speaking patients.
J Rehabil Med 51, 2019