The role of preexisting analgesic use and self-efficacy for continued use of analgesics among patients with persistent low back pain

Patients using analgesics when initiating care were more likely to use analgesics three months later, while those having high levels of self-efficacy were less likely. Improved self-efficacy during the program reduced the absolute risk of analgesic use following the intervention to a larger extent among those using analgesics at baseline compared to those without baseline use. Further investigation is needed to confirm whether these findings reflect causal effects.