{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,14]],"date-time":"2025-12-14T15:58:25Z","timestamp":1765727905302,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":17,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,20]],"date-time":"2021-08-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1629417600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study explores which patient characteristics could affect the likelihood of starting low back pain (LBP) treatment with opioid analgesics vs. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) in an Italian primary care setting. Through the computerized medical records of 65 General Practitioners, non-malignant LBP subjects who received the first pain intensity measurement and an NSAID or opioid prescription, during 2015\u20132016, were identified. Patients with an opioid prescription 1-year before the first pain intensity measurement were excluded. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine predictive factors of opioid prescribing. Results were reported as Odds Ratios (ORs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), with p &lt; 0.05 indicating statistical significance. A total of 505 individuals with LBP were included: of those, 72.7% received an NSAID prescription and 27.3% an opioid one (64% of subjects started with strong opioid). Compared to patients receiving an NSAID, those with opioid prescriptions were younger, reported the highest pain intensity (moderate pain OR = 2.42; 95% CI 1.48\u20133.96 and severe pain OR = 2.01; 95% CI 1.04\u20133.88) and were more likely to have asthma (OR 3.95; 95% CI 1.99\u20137.84). Despite clinical guidelines, a large proportion of LBP patients started with strong opioid therapy. Asthma, younger age and pain intensity were predictors of opioid prescribing when compared to NSAIDs for LBP treatment.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm10163699","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,20]],"date-time":"2021-08-20T08:44:45Z","timestamp":1629449085000},"page":"3699","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Predictors of Opioid Prescribing for Non-Malignant Low Back Pain in an Italian Primary Care Setting"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Simona","family":"Cammarota","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"LinkHealth Health Economics, Outcomes & Epidemiology s.r.l., 80143 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Valeria","family":"Conti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics Unit, University Hospital \u201cSan Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d\u2019Aragona\u201d, 84084 Salerno, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry \u201cScuola Medica Salernitana\u201d, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3441-889X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Graziamaria","family":"Corbi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, \u201cVincenzo Tiberio\u201d, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy"},{"name":"Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics (SIGG), 50122 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Luigi","family":"Di Gregorio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Parmenide Medical Cooperative, 84084 Salerno, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7588-6067","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pasquale","family":"Dolce","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, University of Naples \u201cFederico II\u201d, 80138 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marianna","family":"Fogliasecca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LinkHealth Health Economics, Outcomes & Epidemiology s.r.l., 80143 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Teresa","family":"Iannaccone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics Unit, University Hospital \u201cSan Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d\u2019Aragona\u201d, 84084 Salerno, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry \u201cScuola Medica Salernitana\u201d, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4521-0453","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Valentina","family":"Manzo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics Unit, University Hospital \u201cSan Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d\u2019Aragona\u201d, 84084 Salerno, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry \u201cScuola Medica Salernitana\u201d, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vincenzo","family":"Passaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Parmenide Medical Cooperative, 84084 Salerno, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bernardo","family":"Toraldo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Alfasigma Italia, 40133 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alfredo","family":"Valente","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry \u201cScuola Medica Salernitana\u201d, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Citarella","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LinkHealth Health Economics, Outcomes & Epidemiology s.r.l., 80143 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.15585\/mmwr.rr6501e1","article-title":"CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain\u2014United States, 2016","volume":"65","author":"Dowell","year":"2016","journal-title":"MMWR Recomm. 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Pain"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1989","DOI":"10.1093\/gerona\/glaa038","article-title":"Opioid Use and the Risk of Falls, Fall Injuries and Fractures among Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","volume":"75","author":"Yoshikawa","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"423","DOI":"10.2471\/BLT.18.226050","article-title":"Care for low back pain: Can health systems deliver?","volume":"97","author":"Traeger","year":"2019","journal-title":"Bull. 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