Life values as predictors of pain, disability and sick leave among Swedish registered nurses: a longitudinal study

Importance and consistency ratings of life values, in 9 domains, were collected during 2003 and 2006 from 196 RNs using the Valued Living Questionnaire (VLQ). Logistic regression analyses were used for prediction of pain, disability and sick leave at the three-year follow-up. The predictors family relations, marriage couples/intimate relations, parenting, friends/social life, work, education, leisure time, psychological well-being, and physical self-care were used at baseline.RNs rated life values regarding parenting as most important and with the highest consistency both at baseline and at follow-up. No significant differences were found between RNs' ratings of importance and consistency over the three-year period, except for friends/social relations that revealed a significant decrease in importance at follow-up. The explanatory models for pain, disability and sick leave significantly predicted pain and disability at follow-up. The odds of having pain were significantly increased by one consistency rating (psychological well-being), while the odds were significantly decreased by physical self-care. In the model predicting disability, consistency in psychological well-being and education significantly increased the odds of being disabled, while consistency in physical self-care significantly decreased the odds.The results suggest that there might be a link between intra-individual factors reflecting different aspects of appraised life values and musculoskeletal pain (MSP).One professional group at risk for developing pain and disability are registered nurses (RNs) who work in hospital settings, and who are involved in patient care or hold administrative positions. These nurses are subject to physical, psychological and psychosocial demands [1-5], and Hignett reported that more frequent patient handling appears to be related to increased complaints of musculoskeletal pain (MSP) [6]. Such complaints also negatively affect several domains in individuals' daily life [7