Number (percentage) of participants reporting global improvement, and satisfaction, with exercise advice and support relative to the existing service (adjusted for physiotherapist clustering and gender), using multiply imputed data
| Month 6 | Month 12 | |||||||||||
| Existing service (n=88) | Exercise advice and support (n=87) | OR (95% CI)* | Risk difference (95% CI)* | NNT (95% CI) | P value | Existing service (n=88) | Exercise advice and support (n=87) | OR (95% CI)* | Risk difference (95% CI)* | NNT (95% CI) | P value | |
| Improved overall† | 17/80 (21) | 49/82 (60) | 5.7 (2.9 to 11.2) | 39.1 (25.5 to 52.7) | 3 (2 to 4) | <0.001 | 26/75 (35) | 39/82 (48) | 1.8 (0.9 to 3.6) | 14.3 (−2.4 to 30.9) | 7 (4 to to 43) | 0.093 |
| Improved pain† | 15/80 (19) | 49/82 (60) | 6.6 (3.4 to 13.0) | 41.3 (28.5 to 54.2) | 3 (2 to 4) | <0.001 | 27/75 (36) | 40/82 (49) | 1.8 (0.9 to 3.7) | 14.1 (−3.1 to 31.3) | 8 (4 to to 32) | 0.11 |
| Improved function† | 17/80 (21) | 48/82 (59) | 5.2 (2.6 to 10.2) | 37.2 (23.2 to 51.2) | 3 (2 to 5) | <0.001 | 22/75 (29) | 41/82 (50) | 2.6 (1.4 to 4.7) | 22.4 (9.3 to 35.6) | 5 (3 to 11) | <0.001 |
| Increased activity‡ | 25/80 (31) | 53/82 (65) | 3.8 (2.2 to 6.5) | 32.1 (20.3 to 43.8) | 4 (3 to 5) | <0.001 | 29/75 (39) | 46/82 (56) | 2.1 (1.2 to 3.6) | 17.9 (4.3 to 31.4) | 6 (4 to 24) | 0.010 |
| Satisfied with care§ | 32/80 (40) | 76/82 (93) | 19.1 (7.5 to 48.6) | 52.3 (40.3 to 64.2) | 2 (2 to 3) | <0.001 | 35/75 (47) | 70/82 (86) | 6.5 (2.7 to 15.4) | 37.6 (23.3 to 51.9) | 3 (2 to 5) | <0.001 |
Counts and proportions based on complete case data.
*OR >1 and risk differences >0 favour exercise advice and support.
†Rated using 7-point scales with terminal descriptors of ‘much worse’ to ‘much better’, with those indicating ‘moderately better’ or ‘much better’ classified as improved.
‡Rated using a 7-point scale with terminal descriptors of ‘much less’ to ‘much more’, with those indicating ‘moderately more’ or ‘much more’ classified as increased.
§Rated using a 7-point scale with terminal descriptors of ‘extremely unsatisfied’ and ‘extremely satisfied’, with those indicating ‘moderately satisfied or ‘extremely satisfied classified as satisfied.
.NNT, number needed to treat; OR, Odds Ratio.