Psychological detachment as moderator between psychosocial work conditions and low back pain development

Objectives Recovery processes in leisure time influence the effect of psychosocial work factors on health issues. However, this function of recovery has been neglected in research regarding the influence of work-related risk factors on low back pain (LBP) development. The aim of this prospective study was to examine the function of psychological detachment – a relevant recovery experience – concerning the influence of psychosocial work factors on LBP development. A moderating function of detachment for the interplay of work factors and LBP was assumed. Material and Methods Sixty pain-free administrative employees of German universities completed an online survey 3 times during a 6-month period. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate risk-factors of LBP. Results Analyses revealed an increased chance of LBP development for smokers and a decreasing chance when work resources were high. Detachment had no direct influence on LBP development, although it moderated the influence of work stressors and work resources on LBP. On the one hand, high detachment values seem to protect against an increased chance of LBP development when employees were confronted with high work stressors, while on the other hand high detachment values enhance the protective effect of high work resources. Conclusions The results indicated a moderating role of detachment concerning the influence of psychosocial work factors on LBP development. Therefore, it is necessary to include recovery processes in future research regarding LBP development and consequently in LBP prevention concepts. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(2):313–327