1. |
- Airaksinen, Jaakko, et al.
(author)
-
The effect of smoking cessation on work disability risk : a longitudinal study analysing observational data as non-randomized nested pseudo-trials
- 2019
-
In: International Journal of Epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0300-5771 .- 1464-3685. ; 48:2, s. 415-422
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundSmoking increases disability risk, but the extent to which smoking cessation reduces the risk of work disability is unclear. We used non-randomized nested pseudo-trials to estimate the benefits of smoking cessation for preventing work disability.MethodsWe analysed longitudinal data on smoking status and work disability [long-term sickness absence (≥90 days) or disability pension] from two independent prospective cohort studies—the Finnish Public Sector study (FPS) (n = 7393) and the Health and Social Support study (HeSSup) (n = 2701)—as ‘nested pseudo-trials’. All the 10 094 participants were smokers at Time 1 and free of long-term work disability at Time 2. We compared the work disability risk after Time 2 of the participants who smoked at Time 1 and Time 2 with that of those who quit smoking between these times.ResultsOf the participants in pseudo-trials, 2964 quit smoking between Times 1 and 2. During the mean follow-up of 4.8 to 8.6 years after Time 2, there were 2197 incident cases of work disability across the trials. Quitting smoking was associated with a reduced risk of any work disability [summary hazard ratio = 0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81–0.98]. The hazard ratio for the association between quitting smoking and permanent disability pension (928 cases) was of similar magnitude, but less precisely estimated (0.91, 95% CI 0.81–1.02). Among the participants with high scores on the work disability risk score (top third), smoking cessation reduced the risk of disability pension by three percentage points. Among those with a low risk score (bottom third), smoking cessation reduced the risk by half a percentage point.ConclusionsOur results suggest an approximately 10% hazard reduction of work disability as a result of quitting smoking.
|
|
2. |
- Dorner, Thomas E., et al.
(author)
-
Diagnosis-Specific Work Disability before and after Lumbar Spine Decompression Surgery-A Register Study from Sweden
- 2021
-
In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 18:17
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Low back pain (LBP) patients undergoing lumbar spine decompression surgery (LSDS) often suffer from multi-comorbidity and experience high work disability. This study aimed to identify diagnosis-specific work disability patterns in all LBP-patients before and after LSDS during 2008-2010, that were aged 19-60 years and living in Sweden (n = 10,800) and compare these patterns to LBP-patients without LSDS (n = 109,179), and to matched individuals without LBP (n = 472,191). Work disability days (long-term sickness absence (LTSA), disability pension (DP)) during the three years before to three years after the cohort's entry date were identified by generalised estimating equations. LBP-patients undergoing LSDS had higher overall work disability during the three years following surgery (LTSA: 23.6%, DP: 6.3%) than LBP-patients without LSDS (LTSA: 19.5%, DP: 5.9%), and those without LBP (LTSA: 7.9%, DP: 1.7%). Among patients undergoing LSDS, the prevalence of work disability due to dorsopathies increased from 20 days three years before surgery to 70 days in the year after and attenuated to 30 days in the third year following surgery. Work disability for other diagnoses remained stable at a low level in this group (<10 days annually). LBP-patients undergoing LSDS have an unfavourable long-term work disability prognosis, primarily due to dorsopathies. Decompression surgery seemed to restrict further inclines in work disability in the long run.
|
|
3. |
- Ervasti, Jenni, et al.
(author)
-
Contribution of comorbid conditions to the association between diabetes and disability pensions : a population-based nationwide cohort study
- 2016
-
In: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - : Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health. - 0355-3140 .- 1795-990X. ; 42:3, s. 209-216
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: Using Swedish population-based register data, we examined the extent to which comorbid conditions contribute to the risk of disability pension among people with diabetes.METHODS: We carried out Cox proportional hazard analyses with comorbid conditions as time-dependent covariates among 14 198 people with newly diagnosed diabetes in 2006, and 39 204 people free from diabetes during the follow-up from 2007-2010. The average follow-up times were 46 and 48 months for those with and without diabetes, respectively.RESULTS: For those with diabetes only, the incidence of all-cause disability pension was 9.5 per 1000 person-years. The highest incidence of disability pension were for those with: diabetes and depression (23.6); diabetes and musculoskeletal disorder (30.6), and those with diabetes and more than one comorbid condition (36.5). The incidence rate was 5.8 for those without diabetes. Diabetes was associated with a 2.30 times [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.09-2.54] higher risk of disability pension (adjusted for sociodemographic factors). This association attenuated by 41% after further adjustment for comorbid chronic conditions. While diabetes was a risk factor for disability pension due to musculoskeletal disorders and diseases of the circulatory system, even after accounting for the above-mentioned conditions, the association between disability pension due to mental disorders and diabetes was diluted after adjustment for mental disorders.CONCLUSIONS: Although diabetes is an independent risk factor for disability pension, comorbid conditions contribute to this risk to a large degree.
|
|
4. |
- Ervasti, Jenni, et al.
(author)
-
Does increasing physical activity reduce the excess risk of work disability among overweight individuals?
- 2019
-
In: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - : Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH). - 0355-3140 .- 1795-990X. ; 45:4, s. 376-385
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives We examined the extent to which an increase in physical activity would reduce the excess risk of work disability among overweight and obese people (body mass index >= 25kg/m(2)).Methods We used counterfactual modelling approaches to analyze longitudinal data from two Finnish prospective cohort studies (total N=38 744). Weight, height and physical activity were obtained from surveys and assessed twice and linked to electronic records of two indicators of long-term work disability (>= 90-day sickness absence and disability pension) for a 7-year follow-up after the latter survey. The models were adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, smoking, and alcohol consumption.Results The confounder-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of long-term sickness absence for overweight compared to normal-weight participants was 1.43 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.35-1.53]. An increase in physical activity among overweight compared to normal-weight individuals was estimated to reduce this HR to 1.40 (95% CI 1.31-1.48). In pseudo-trial analysis including only the persistently overweight, initially physically inactive participants, the HR for long-term sickness absence was 0.82 (95% CI 0.70-0.94) for individuals with increased physical activity compared to those who remained physically inactive. The results for disability pension as an outcome were similar.Conclusions These findings suggest that the excess risk of work disability among overweight individuals would drop by 3-4% if they increased their average physical activity to the average level of normal-weight people. However, overweight individuals who are physically inactive would reduce their risk of work disability by about 20% by becoming physically active.
|
|
5. |
- Ervasti, Jenni, et al.
(author)
-
Long working hours and risk of 50 health conditions and mortality outcomes : a multicohort study in four European countries
- 2021
-
In: The Lancet Regional Health. - : Elsevier BV. - 2666-7762. ; 11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Studies on the association between long working hours and health have captured only a narrow range of outcomes (mainly cardiometabolic diseases and depression) and no outcome-wide studies on this topic are available. To achieve wider scope of potential harm, we examined long working hours as a risk factor for a wide range of disease and mortality endpoints.Methods: The data of this multicohort study were from two population cohorts from Finland (primary analysis, n=59 599) and nine cohorts (replication analysis, n=44 262) from Sweden, Denmark, and the UK, all part of the Individual-participant Meta-analysis in Working Populations (IPD-Work) consortium. Baseline-assessed long working hours (≥55 hours per week) were compared to standard working hours (35-40 h). Outcome measures with follow-up until age 65 years were 46 diseases that required hospital treatment or continuous pharmacotherapy, all-cause, and three cause-specific mortality endpoints, ascertained via linkage to national health and mortality registers.Findings: 2747 (4·6%) participants in the primary cohorts and 3027 (6·8%) in the replication cohorts worked long hours. After adjustment for age, sex, and socioeconomic status, working long hours was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular death (hazard ratio 1·68; 95% confidence interval 1·08-2·61 in primary analysis and 1·52; 0·90-2·58 in replication analysis), infections (1·37; 1·13-1·67 and 1·45; 1·13-1·87), diabetes (1·18; 1·01-1·38 and 1·41; 0·98-2·02), injuries (1·22; 1·00-1·50 and 1·18; 0·98-1·18) and musculoskeletal disorders (1·15; 1·06-1·26 and 1·13; 1·00-1·27). Working long hours was not associated with all-cause mortality.Interpretation: Follow-up of 50 health outcomes in four European countries suggests that working long hours is associated with an elevated risk of early cardiovascular death and hospital-treated infections before age 65. Associations, albeit weak, were also observed with diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders and injuries. In these data working long hours was not related to elevated overall mortality.
|
|
6. |
- Ervasti, Jenni, et al.
(author)
-
Permanent work disability before and after ischaemic heart disease or stroke event : a nationwide population-based cohort study in Sweden.
- 2017
-
In: BMJ Open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 7:9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: We examined the risk of disability pension before and after ischaemic heart disease (IHD) or stroke event, the burden of stroke compared with IHD and which factors predicted disability pension after either event.DESIGN: A population-based cohort study with follow-up 5 years before and after the event. Register data were analysed with general linear modelling with binary and Poisson distributions including interaction tests for event type (IHD/stroke).SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: All people living in Sweden, aged 25‒60 years at the first event year, who had been living in Sweden for 5 years before the event and had no indication of IHD or stroke prior to the index event in 2006‒2008 were included, except for cases in which death occurred within 30 days of the event. People with both IHD and stroke were excluded, resulting in 18 480 cases of IHD (65%) and 9750 stroke cases (35%).PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Disability pension.RESULTS: Of those going to suffer IHD or stroke event, 25% were already on disability pension a year before the event. The adjusted OR for disability pension at first postevent year was 2.64-fold (95% CI 2.25 to 3.11) for people with stroke compared with IHD. Economic inactivity predicted disability pension regardless of event type (OR=3.40; 95% CI 2.85 to 4.04). Comorbid mental disorder was associated with the greatest risk (OR=3.60; 95% CI 2.69 to 4.83) after an IHD event. Regarding stroke, medical procedure, a proxy for event severity, was the largest contributor (OR=2.27, 95% CI 1.43 to 3.60).CONCLUSIONS: While IHD event was more common, stroke involved more permanent work disability. Demographic, socioeconomic and comorbidity-related factors were associated with disability pension both before and after the event. The results help occupational and other healthcare professionals to identify vulnerable groups at risk for permanent labour market exclusion after such an event.
|
|
7. |
- Ervasti, Jenni, et al.
(author)
-
Sickness absence diagnoses among abstainers, low-risk drinkers and at-risk drinkers : consideration of the U-shaped association between alcohol use and sickness absence in four cohort studies
- 2018
-
In: Addiction. - : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc.. - 0965-2140 .- 1360-0443. ; 113:9, s. 1633-1642
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims To estimate differences in the strength and shape of associations between alcohol use and diagnosis-specific sickness absence. Design A multi-cohort study. Participants (n = 47 520) responded to a survey on alcohol use at two time-points, and were linked to records of sickness absence. Diagnosis-specific sickness absence was followed for 4-7 years from the latter survey. Setting and participants From Finland, we had population cohort survey data from 1998 and 2003 and employee cohort survey data from 2000-02 and 2004. From France and the United Kingdom, we had employee cohort survey data from 1993 and 1997, and 1985-88 and 1991-94, respectively. Measurements We used standard questionnaires to assess alcohol intake categorized into 0, 1-11 and > 11 units per week in women and 0, 1-34 and > 34 units per week in men. We identified groups with stable and changing alcohol use over time. We linked participants to records from sickness absence registers. Diagnoses of sickness absence were coded according to the International Classification of Diseases. Estimates were adjusted for sex, age, socio-economic status, smoking and body mass index. Findings Women who reported drinking 1-11 units and men who reported drinking 1-34 units of alcohol per week in both surveys were the reference group. Compared with them, women and men who reported no alcohol use in either survey had a higher risk of sickness absence due to mental disorders [rate ratio = 1.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.22-1.88], musculoskeletal disorders (1.22, 95% CI = 1.06-1.41), diseases of the digestive system (1.35, 95% CI = 1.02-1.77) and diseases of the respiratory system (1.49, 95% CI = 1.29-1.72). Women who reported alcohol consumption of > 11 weekly units and men who reported alcohol consumption of > 34 units per week in both surveys were at increased risk of absence due to injury or poisoning (1.44, 95% CI = 1.13-1.83). Conclusions In Finland, France and the United Kingdom, people who report not drinking any alcohol on two occasions several years apart appear to have a higher prevalence of sickness absence from work with chronic somatic and mental illness diagnoses than those drinking below a risk threshold of 11 units per week for women and 34 units per week for men. Persistent at-risk drinking in Finland, France and the United Kingdom appears to be related to increased absence due to injury or poisoning.
|
|
8. |
- Ervasti, Jenni, et al.
(author)
-
Sociodemographic Differences Between Alcohol Use and Sickness Absence : Pooled Analysis of Four Cohort Studies
- 2018
-
In: Alcohol and Alcoholism. - : Oxford University Press. - 0735-0414 .- 1464-3502. ; 53:1, s. 95-103
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims: We examined differences in sickness absence in relation to at-risk drinking and abstinence, taking into account potential changes in consumption.& para;& para;Methods: We used individual-participant data (n = 46,514) from four prospective cohort studies from Finland, France and the UK. Participants responded to a survey on alcohol use at two time points 4-6 years apart, and were linked to records of sickness absence for an similar to 6-year follow-up after the latter survey. Abstainers were those reporting no alcohol use in either survey. At-risk drinkers at T1 were labelled as 'former', at-risk drinkers at T2 as 'current' and at-risk drinkers at both times as 'consistent' at-risk drinkers. The reference group was low-risk drinkers at both times. Study-specific analyses were stratified by sex and socioeconomic status (SES) and the estimates were pooled using meta-analysis.& para;& para;Results: Among men (n = 17,285), abstainers (6%), former (5%), current (5%) and consistent (7%) at-risk drinkers had an increased risk of sickness absence compared with consistent low-risk drinkers (77%). Among women (n = 29,229), only abstainers (12%) had a higher risk of sickness absence compared to consistent low-risk drinkers (74%). After adjustment for lifestyle and health, abstaining from alcohol was associated with sickness absence among people with intermediate and high SES, but not among people with low SES.& para;& para;Conclusions: The U-shaped alcohol use-sickness absence association is more consistent in men than women. Abstinence is a risk factor for sickness absence among people with higher rather than lower SES. Healthy worker effect and health selection may partly explain the observed differences.& para;& para;Short summary: In a pooled analysis from four cohort studies from three European countries, we demonstrated a U-shaped association between alcohol use and sickness absence, particularly among men. Abstinence from alcohol was associated with increased sickness absenteeism among both sexes and across socioeconomic strata, except those with low SES.
|
|
9. |
- Ervasti, Jenni, et al.
(author)
-
Trends in diagnosis-specific work disability before and after ischaemic heart disease : a nationwide population-based cohort study in Sweden
- 2018
-
In: BMJ Open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 8:4
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: We examined trends of diagnosis-specific work disability before and after ischaemic heart disease (IHD).DESIGN: Participants were followed 4 years before and 4 years after an IHD event for diagnosis-specific work disability (sickness absence and disability pension).SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A Swedish population-based cohort study using register data on all individuals aged 25-60 years, living in Sweden, and who suffered their first IHD event in 2006-2008 (n=23 971) was conducted.RESULTS: Before the event, the most common diagnoses of work disability were musculoskeletal disorders (21 annual days for men and 44 for women) and mental disorders (19 men and 31 for women). After multivariable adjustments, we observed a fivefold increase (from 12 to 60 days) in work disability due to diseases of the circulatory system in the first postevent year compared with the last pre-event year among men. Among women, the corresponding increase was fourfold (from 14 to 62 days). By the second postevent year, the number of work disability days decreased significantly compared with the first postevent year among both sexes (to 19 days among men and 23 days among women). Among women, mean days of work disability due to diseases of the circulatory system remained at a higher level than among men during the postevent years. Work disability risk after versus before an IHD event was slightly higher among men (rate ratio (RR) 2.49; 95% CI 2.36 to 2.62) than among women (RR 2.29, 95% CI 2.12 to 2.49). When pre-event long-term work disability was excluded, diseases of the circulatory system were the most prevalent diagnosis for work disability after an IHD event among both men and women.CONCLUSIONS: An IHD event was strongly associated with an increase in work disability due to diseases of the circulatory system, especially among men and particularly in the first postevent year.
|
|
10. |
- Ervasti, Jenni, et al.
(author)
-
Work disability before and after diabetes diagnosis : a nationwide population-based register study in Sweden.
- 2015
-
In: American Journal of Public Health. - : American Public Health Association. - 0090-0036 .- 1541-0048. ; 105:6, s. e22-e29
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the risk of work disability (sick leave and disability pension) before and after diabetes diagnosis relative to individuals without diabetes during the same time period, as well as the trajectory of work disability around the diagnosis.METHODS: This Swedish population-based cohort study with register data included 14 428 individuals with incident diabetes in 2006 and 39 702 individuals without diabetes during 2003 to 2009.RESULTS: Work disability was substantially higher among people with diabetes (overall mean = 95 days per year over the 7 years, SD = 143) than among those without diabetes (mean = 35 days, SD = 95). The risk of work disability was slightly higher after diabetes diagnosis than before and compared with the risk of those without diabetes. The trajectory of work disability was already increasing before diagnosis, increased even more at the time of diagnosis, and leveled off after diagnosis. Individual sociodemographic characteristics and comorbid conditions contributed both to the risk and to the trajectory of work disability.CONCLUSIONS: Although diabetes has an independent effect on work disability, sex, age, education, and comorbid conditions play a significant role.
|
|