Table 1 Baseline characteristics of participants

Age (years), median (IQR)

49 (40–55)

49 (41–56)

49 (41–56)

Women, n (%)

94 (54)

99 (58)

100 (59)

Education, n (%)

 • Compulsory education

21 (12)

14 (8)

20 12)

 • High school

92 (53)

95 (56)

84 49)

 • College or university < 4 years

40 (23)

46 (27)

49 29)

 • College or university ≥ 4 years

21 (12)

15 (9)

17 (10)

Smokers, n (%)

39 (22)

35 (21)

36 (21)

BMI (kg/m²), median (IQR)

13 (3)

28 (24–31)

27 (24–31)

27 (24–31)

Days of physical activity previous week, n (%)

1 (0.2)

 • 0 days

65 (37)

54 (32)

64 (38)

 • 1–2 days

46 (26)

43 (25)

39 (23)

 • 3–4 days

38 (22)

45 (27)

41 (24)

 • 5–7 days

25 (14)

27 (16)

26 (15)

Musculoskeletal health^a (0–56), mean (SD)

21 (4)

27 (9)

27 (8)

27 (8)

ÖMPSQ-SF^b (≥ 60), n (%)

65 (37)

55 (32)

59 (35)

Keele STarT MSK tool (0–12)

 • High risk (≥ 9), n (%)

61 (35)

49 (29)

48 (28)

 • Medium risk (5–8), n (%)

85 (49)

86 (51)

98 (58)

 • Low risk (< 5), n (%)

28 (16)

35 (21)

24 (14)

Work, n (%)

 • Full-time

120 (69)

110 (65)

111 (65)

 • Part-time 50–99% of full work hours per week

39 (22)

53 (31)

48 (28)

 • Part-time < 50% of full work hours per week

15 (9)

7 (4)

11 (6)

Graded disability pension^c, yes n (%)

5 (1)

15 (9)

12 (7)

9 (5)

Sickness absence days previous year (work days^d), median (IQR)

5 (1)

38 (30–50)

35 (31–50)

36 (26–50)

Mean Quality Adjusted Life Years (SD)^e

5 (1)

0.57 (0.21)

0.60 (0.21)

0.58 (0.22)

Area of body pain, n (%)

14 (3)

 • Lower limb

6 (4)

18 (11)

15 (9)

 • Upper limb

30 (18)

30 (18)

30 (18)

 • Neck

12 (7)

12 (7)

10 (6)

 • Back

34 (20)

42 (25)

43 (26)

 • Multisite pain

12 (7)

8 (5)

10 (6)

 • Joint disorders

20 (12)

13 (8)

10 (6)

 • Fractures

14 (8)

16 (10)

11 (7)

 • Other

40 (24)

26 (16)

38 (23)