Sense of coherence in association with health status and chronic

Abstract

Abstract Sense of coherence in association with health status and chronic pain Background: Chronic musculoskeletal pain is a common condition that has become a great challenge for the society. Although much is known about factors that are associated with chronic pain, there is little information about the influence of sense of coherence (SOC) on pain. This study used a salutogenetic approach and investigated this influence. Moreover, the relationship between SOC and health status was explored. Aim: To investigate the association between SOC, health status and chronic pain in a general population followed over 13 years. Methods: A combined cross-sectional and a longitudinal cohort study on a general population, based on an initial postal survey at baseline 2003 and a follow-up survey in 2016. Health status was measured by SF-36 and SOC was measured by SOC-3. Subjects were divided into three levels of SOC (low, moderate, high) and into three pain groups (NCP = no chronic pain, CRP = chronic regional pain, CWP =chronic widespread pain). Questions on lifestyle factors and demographic factors were also included. The results were controlled for age, gender and pain group. Results: The cross-sectional study found a strong association between a high SOC and higher mean values of all eight SF-36 dimensions. The high SOC sample also reported a higher prevalence of NCP and a lower prevalence of CWP than the low SOC sample. The longitudinal study showed that SOC predicted pain outcome 13 years later, but the evidence for SOC as a predictor of health status was weak. Conclusions: SOC seems to have an important impact on both health and chronic pain. The findings suggest that it would be beneficial to make efforts to strengthen the SOC, both when meeting patients in the clinic and when making interventions on a national level.