Table 4

Predictors of increased levels of concern: A) Type 3 analyses of effects using a binary logistic model to detect significant predictors of increased level of concern; the probability modeled for each of the main patient concerns was the high-concern group; Wald χ² and P values are shown. B) Odds ratios for positive independent predictors of increased patient concern.

A) PREDICTOR	PATIENT CONCERN
	INCREASED CONCERN ABOUT ONGOING PAIN		INCREASED CONCERN ABOUT LOSS OF FUNCTION		INCREASED CONCERN ABOUT NEED FOR SURGERY		INCREASED CONCERN ABOUT PERMANENCE OF THE CONDITION
	χ²	P	χ²	P	χ²	P	χ²	P
Age	6.37	0.01	4.19	0.04	4.68	0.41	1.02	0.31
Sex	2.10	0.15	1.84	0.18	1.84	0.18	0.09	0.76
Diagnosis	4.18	0.65	10.48	0.10	7.58	0.35	2.15	0.90
Referral effect^*	1.97	0.74	8.99	0.06	11.03	0.01	1.64	0.80
Surgical candidate	0.89	0.64	0.35	0.84	0.16	0.61	0.10	0.95
Wait time^{^†}	1.02	0.31	1.63	0.20	1.83	0.63	0.38	0.54
Waiting effect^{^‡}	3.32	0.34	5.20	0.16	0.40	0.31	4.21	0.24

B) EFFECT	HIGH CONCERN FOR …	ODDS RATIO ESTIMATE	95% WALD CONFIDENCE LIMITS
Age	Ongoing pain	1.06	1.01,1.12
Age	Loss of function	1.04	1.00,1.07
Referral	Need for surgery	3.09	1.27,7.52

↵* Referral effect refers to the subjective effect on concerns of being referred to the spine surgeon.
↵† Wait time represents the time waited between referral and consultation.
↵‡ Waiting effect refers to the subjective effect on concerns of waiting for consultation on patients’ levels of concern.