Medically unexplained symptoms and the risk of loss of labor market participation: a prospective study in the Danish population
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Medically unexplained symptoms and the risk of loss of labor market participation : a prospective study in the Danish population. / Loengaard, Katja; Bjorner, Jakob Bue; Fink, Per Klausen; Burr, Hermann; Rugulies, Reiner.
I: BMC Public Health, Bind 15, 844, 02.09.2015, s. 1-10.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Medically unexplained symptoms and the risk of loss of labor market participation
T2 - a prospective study in the Danish population
AU - Loengaard, Katja
AU - Bjorner, Jakob Bue
AU - Fink, Per Klausen
AU - Burr, Hermann
AU - Rugulies, Reiner
PY - 2015/9/2
Y1 - 2015/9/2
N2 - BACKGROUND: Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS) are frequently encountered in general practice. However, little is known whether MUS affects labor market participation. We investigated the prospective association between MUS at baseline and risk of long-term sickness absence (LTSA), unemployment, and disability pensioning in a 5-year-follow-up study.METHODS: In the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study 2005, 8187 randomly selected employees from the Danish general population answered a questionnaire on work and health. Responses were linked with national registers on prescribed medication and hospital treatment. Participants were classified with MUS if they: a) had reported three or more symptoms during the last month, and b) did not have a chronic condition, neither in the self-reported nor the register data. We assessed LTSA, unemployment, and disability pensioning by linking our data with National registers of social transfer payments.RESULTS: Of the 8187 participants, 272 (3.3%) were categorized with MUS. Compared to healthy participants, participants with MUS had an increased risk of LTSA (Rate ratio (RR) = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.28-2.42), and of unemployment (RR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.02-2.15) during follow-up. MUS participants also showed an elevated RR with regard to risk of disability pensioning, however this association was not statistically significant (RR = 2.06, 95% CI = 0.77-5.52).CONCLUSION: MUS seem to have a negative effect on labor market participation defined by LTSA and unemployment, whereas it is more uncertain whether MUS affects risk of disability pensioning.
AB - BACKGROUND: Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS) are frequently encountered in general practice. However, little is known whether MUS affects labor market participation. We investigated the prospective association between MUS at baseline and risk of long-term sickness absence (LTSA), unemployment, and disability pensioning in a 5-year-follow-up study.METHODS: In the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study 2005, 8187 randomly selected employees from the Danish general population answered a questionnaire on work and health. Responses were linked with national registers on prescribed medication and hospital treatment. Participants were classified with MUS if they: a) had reported three or more symptoms during the last month, and b) did not have a chronic condition, neither in the self-reported nor the register data. We assessed LTSA, unemployment, and disability pensioning by linking our data with National registers of social transfer payments.RESULTS: Of the 8187 participants, 272 (3.3%) were categorized with MUS. Compared to healthy participants, participants with MUS had an increased risk of LTSA (Rate ratio (RR) = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.28-2.42), and of unemployment (RR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.02-2.15) during follow-up. MUS participants also showed an elevated RR with regard to risk of disability pensioning, however this association was not statistically significant (RR = 2.06, 95% CI = 0.77-5.52).CONCLUSION: MUS seem to have a negative effect on labor market participation defined by LTSA and unemployment, whereas it is more uncertain whether MUS affects risk of disability pensioning.
KW - Adult
KW - Chronic Disease
KW - Cohort Studies
KW - Denmark
KW - Disabled Persons
KW - Female
KW - Follow-Up Studies
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Occupational Diseases
KW - Pensions
KW - Prospective Studies
KW - Registries
KW - Risk Factors
KW - Sick Leave
KW - Surveys and Questionnaires
KW - Unemployment
U2 - 10.1186/s12889-015-2177-4
DO - 10.1186/s12889-015-2177-4
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 26329362
VL - 15
SP - 1
EP - 10
JO - BMC Public Health
JF - BMC Public Health
SN - 1471-2458
M1 - 844
ER -
ID: 162715298