Work-family conflicts and long-term medically certified sickness absence due to mental disorders - a follow-up study of female municipal employees.

BACKGROUND: . Decreased work ability due to mental disorders is a growing concern in Europe. We studied the role of work-family conflicts in association with long-term sickness absence due to mental disorders (LTSA-MD). METHODS: . Baseline data were extracted from the Helsinki Health Study for women aged 40 to 55 in full-time work in 2001 - 2002 (N = 2386). Questionnaire responses were linked with register data from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland on SA spells due to mental disorders during 2004-2010. We studied an overall question on satisfaction with combining work and family (WFS) and composite scores of work-to-family conflicts (WTFC) and family-to-work-conflicts (FTWC), and their components in association with the first certified SA spell (≥ 12 calendar days) due to a mental disorder during the follow-up. We performed Cox regression analyses with hazard ratios (HR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for sociodemographic factors, work schedule, perceived mental and physical strenuousness at work, and self-rated health. First, we examined all participants, and second, only those who reported no prior mental disorder. RESULTS: . Poor work-family satisfaction (WFS) was associated with subsequent LTSA-MD, adjusting for all covariates (HR 1.60; 95% CI 1.10-2.16). Both high WTFC (1.64; 1.15-2.23), and high FTWC (1.43; 1.02-2.00) increased the probability of LTSA-MD in the full model. When participants with prior mental disorder were excluded, the association between poor WFS and WTFC with LTSA-MD retained while that between FTWC and LTSA-MD attenuated; however, two items of the FTWC were still associated with LTSA-MD: 'Family worries and problems distract you from your work' and 'Family matters prevent you from sleeping enough to do your job well'. Of the WTFC items, the following remained associated with LTSA-MD: 'Problems at work make you irritable at home' and 'Your job takes so much energy you do not feel up to doing things that need attention at home'. The experience of decreased time for work or family did not associate with LTSA-MD. CONCLUSIONS: . Among female municipal employees, dissatisfaction with combining work and family and both work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts were associated with subsequent long-term sickness absence due to mental disorders.

Intervention targeted at physicians' treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and sickness certification: an interrupted time series analysis.

OBJECTIVE: An intervention was carried out at the occupational healthcare services (OHS) of the City of Helsinki beginning in 2016. We investigated the association between the intervention and employee sick leaves using interrupted time series analysis. DESIGN: Register-based cohort study with a quasi-experimental study design. SETTING: Employees of the City of Helsinki. PARTICIPANTS: We analysed individual-level register-based data on all employees who were employed by the city for any length of time between 2013 and 2018 (a total 86 970 employees and 3 014 075 sick leave days). Sick leave days and periods that were OHS-based constituted the intervention time series and the rest of the sick leave days and periods contributed to the comparison time series. INTERVENTION: Recommendations provided to physicians on managing pain and prescribing sick leave for low back, shoulder and elbow pain. OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of sick leave days per month and sick leave periods per year. RESULTS: For all sick leave days prescribed at OHS, there was no immediate change in sick leave days, whereas a gradual change showing decreasing number of OHS-based sick leave days was detected. On average, the intervention was estimated to have saved 2.5 sick leave days per year per employee. For other sick leave days, there was an immediate increase in the level of sick leave days after the intervention and a subsequent gradual trend showing decreasing number of sick leave days. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention may have reduced employee sick leaves and therefore it is possible that it had led to direct cost savings. However, further evidence for causal inferences is needed.

Sickness absence and return to work among employees with knee osteoarthritis with and without total knee arthroplasty: a prospective register linkage study among Finnish public sector employees.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine duration of sickness absence due to knee osteoarthritis (OA) and sustained return to work (RTW) among municipal employees, who had at least one compensated sickness absence period due to knee OA. The contribution of sociodemographic characteristics, diabetes and previous sickness absence were assessed. We differentiated between participants with and without total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: Data from 123 506 employees in the Finnish Public Sector Study were linked with national health and mortality register information. There were 3 231 sickness absence periods (2372 participants) due to knee OA in 2005-2011. Kaplan-Meier curves for sustained RTW were obtained and median time with inter-quartile range (IQR) calculated for those with and without TKA. Cox regression analyses were carried out in multivariable analyses. RESULTS: The median time to RTW from the beginning of sickness absence was 21-28 days when TKA was not related to sickness absence and 92-145 days when it was. Among participants with no TKA, age 60-64, non-sedentary work, diabetes, and previous sickness absences predicted longer time to RTW, while pain medication predicted a shorter time. Among participants with TKA, non-sedentary work and previous sickness absences predicted a longer time to RTW. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical relevance of the difference in time to RTW between employees with or without TKA was substantial. Employees with knee OA working in physically demanding jobs need work modifications after TKA, and this calls for a dialog between occupational health care professionals and workplaces.

Alternative duty work as workplace-initiated procedure to reduce sickness absence.

PURPOSE: Alternative duty work is a procedure that enables an employee with a short-term disability to perform modified duties as an alternative to sickness absence. We examined whether the implementation of an alternative duty policy was associated with reduced sickness absence in the Finnish public sector. METHODS: Two city administrations (A and D) that implemented an alternative duty work policy to their employees (n = 5341 and n = 7538) served as our intervention cities, and two city administrations (B and C) that did not implement the policy represented the reference cities (n = 6976 and n = 6720). The outcomes were the number of annual days, all episodes, and short-term (< 10 days) episodes during the 2 years before versus the 2 years after the intervention year. We applied repeated measures negative binomial regression analyses, using the generalized estimating equations method and the difference-in-difference analysis to compare the intervention and control cities (adjusted for sex, age, type of job contract, occupational class). RESULTS: During the five-year study period, the number of sickness absence days and episodes increased in both the intervention and control cities. Covariate-adjusted analysis of relative risk showed that the overall increase in post- versus pre-intervention sickness absence days was smaller in intervention City A, RR = 1.14 (95% CI = 1.09-1.21) than in control cities B and C, RR = 1.19 (95% CI =1.14-1.24), group × time interaction p < 0.02. In intervention City D, we found a corresponding result regarding all sickness absence episodes and short-term sickness absence episodes but not days. CONCLUSIONS: This follow-up suggests that implementing an alternative duty work policy may marginally decrease employees' sickness absences.

'Return to Work' Coordinator Model and Work Participation of Employees: A Natural Intervention Study in Finland.

Purpose Employers increasingly use 'return to work' (RTW) coordinators to support work ability and extend working careers, particularly among employees with reduced work ability. We examined whether applying this model was associated with changes in employee sickness absence and disability retirements. Methods We used data from the Finnish Public Sector study from 2009 until 2015. Employees where the model was introduced in 2012 constituted the cases (n = 4120, one municipality) and employees where the model was not in use during the follow-up, represented the controls (n = 5600, two municipalities). We analysed risk of disability retirement in 2013-2015 and risk of sickness absence after (2013-2015) vs. before (2009-2011) intervention by case-control status. Results The incidence of disability retirement after the intervention was lower in cases compared to controls both in the total population (hazard ratio HR = 0.49, 95% CI 0.30-0.79) and in the subgroup of participants with reduced work ability (HR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.12-0.99). The risk of sickness absence increased from pre-intervention to post-intervention period both among cases and controls although the relative increase was greater among cases (RRpost- vs. pre-intervention = 1.26, 95% CI 1.14-1.40) than controls (RRpost- vs. pre-intervention = 1.03, 95% CI 0.97-1.08). In the group of employees with reduced work ability, no difference in sickness absence trends between cases and controls was observed. Conclusions These findings suggest that RTW-coordinator model may increase employee sickness absence, but decrease the risk of disability retirement, i.e., permanent exclusion from the labour market.

The effect of pain management group on chronic pain and pain related co-morbidities and symptoms. A stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial. A study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: In primary care settings, pain-management group therapy is a tool potentially cost-effective but very much underused. METHODS: Our purpose here is to provide useful scientific information on the effect of pain-management group participation on chronic pain and pain-related co-morbidities and symptoms, as well as practical information for primary and occupational health services to initiate pain-management group activity.This study will be carried out at primary care Occupational Health Helsinki (Helsinki city employees' occupational health services), with the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health as the research partner.This is a stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial among both male and female municipal employees aged 18 to 65, all of whom had visited an occupational doctor, nurse, psychologist, or physiotherapist because of any chronic pain unrelated to malignant disease. An additional inclusion criterion is work disability risk being elevated, based on a short screening questionnaire (modified Örebro questionnaire). Each participant and each interviewer will be blinded at randomization.Three groups, 10 subjects in each, begin directly after recruitment with 6 weekly 2-h meetings and a follow-up meeting 6 months later. Three waiting-list groups begin 4 months later. Subjects complete self-administered questionnaires before and after the sixth meetings, also 6 months later. Primary outcomes are pain intensity, current work ability, pain self-efficacy, fear-avoidance beliefs, chronic pain acceptance, depressive symptoms, sleep problems, sickness absence days, and number of occupational health care contacts from OH's medical records. RESULTS: We will publish our results in a peer-reviewed scientific journals.

The effect of pain management group on chronic pain and pain related co-morbidities and symptoms. A stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial. A study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: In primary care settings, pain-management group therapy is a tool potentially cost-effective but very much underused. METHODS: Our purpose here is to provide useful scientific information on the effect of pain-management group participation on chronic pain and pain-related co-morbidities and symptoms, as well as practical information for primary and occupational health services to initiate pain-management group activity.This study will be carried out at primary care Occupational Health Helsinki (Helsinki city employees' occupational health services), with the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health as the research partner.This is a stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial among both male and female municipal employees aged 18 to 65, all of whom had visited an occupational doctor, nurse, psychologist, or physiotherapist because of any chronic pain unrelated to malignant disease. An additional inclusion criterion is work disability risk being elevated, based on a short screening questionnaire (modified Örebro questionnaire). Each participant and each interviewer will be blinded at randomization. Three groups, 10 subjects in each, begin directly after recruitment with 6 weekly 2-h meetings and a follow-up meeting 6 months later. Three waiting-list groups begin 4 months later. Subjects complete self-administered questionnaires before and after the sixth meetings, also 6 months later. Primary outcomes are pain intensity, current work ability, pain self-efficacy, fear-avoidance beliefs, chronic pain acceptance, depressive symptoms, sleep problems, sickness absence days, and number of occupational health care contacts from OH's medical records. RESULTS: We will publish our results in a peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Work-Related Exposures and Sickness Absence Trajectories: A Nationally Representative Follow-up Study among Finnish Working-Aged People.

The contribution of physically demanding work to the developmental trajectories of sickness absence (SA) has seldom been examined. We analyzed the associations of 12 physical work exposures, individually and in combination, with SA trajectories among the occupationally active in the Finnish nationally representative Health 2000 survey. We included 3814 participants aged 30-59 years at baseline, when exposure history to work-related factors was reported. The survey and interview responses were linked with the annual number of medically confirmed SA spells through 2002-2008 from national registries. Trajectory analyses identified three SA subgroups: 1 = low (54.6%), 2 = slowly increasing (33.7%), and 3 = high (11.7%). After adjustments, sitting or use of keyboard >1 year was inversely associated with the high SA trajectory (odds ratio, OR, 0.57; 95% 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.43-0.77). The odds of belonging to the trajectory of high SA increased with an increasing number of risk factors, and was highest for those with ≥4 physical workload factors (OR 2.71; 95% CI 1.99-3.69). In conclusion, these findings highlight the need to find ways to better maintain the work ability of those in physically loading work, particularly when there occurs exposure to several workload factors.

Alcohol use and sickness absence due to all causes and mental- or musculoskeletal disorders: a nationally representative study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have not distinguished between different alcohol-use histories, which could have contributed to the current inconsistent evidence regarding the relationship between alcohol use and subsequent sickness absence. We thus examined alcohol use and subsequent diagnosis-specific sickness absence in groups with different levels of alcohol use, as well as in lifelong abstainers, former drinkers, and people with clinical alcohol use disorders. METHODS: The data of the population-based Health 2000 Survey (BRIF8901) of 3666 Finns aged 30-55 were linked with national registers on medically certified sickness absences lasting for > 10 working days (long-term) for all causes (2000 - 2010) and for mental or musculoskeletal disorders (2004-2010), as well as with registers on pensions and death (2000-2010). Alcohol use was assessed by questionnaire. Chronic somatic diseases were evaluated at baseline in a clinical examination, and common mental and alcohol use disorders using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Cox regression analyses were conducted with censoring for death and retirement from work. RESULTS: During an average 10-year follow-up, 56.0% of the participants had at least one long-term sickness absence period. Compared with light drinkers, those having an alcohol use disorder had increased risk of all-cause sickness absence (HR = 1.27; 95% CI = 1.04 - 1.54) and sickness absence due to mental disorders (HR = 2.16; 95% CI = 1.39 - 3.35), when somatic and mental disorders as well as demographic, lifestyle-related and occupational factors at baseline were accounted for. Lifelong abstainers did not differ from light drinkers. Also high-volume drinking (HR = 1.52; 95% CI 1.03 - 2.25) and former drinking (HR = 1.57; 95% CI = 1.15 - 2.15) were associated with long-term sickness absence due to mental disorders. Alcohol use was not predictive of sickness absence due to musculoskeletal disorders. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the need to distinguish between former drinking and lifelong abstinence, as only former drinking was associated with sickness absence. Alcohol use disorder and high-volume drinking were strongly predictive of sickness absence due to mental disorders. Identifying people with excessive alcohol use e.g. in occupational health care, and mapping and supporting their mental health may help in preventing sickness absences.

A screening tool for the risk of disability retirement due to musculoskeletal disorders.

Objective This study aimed to develop and validate a risk screening tool using a points system to assess the risk of future disability retirement due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Methods The development population, the Health 2000 Survey, consisted of a nationally representative sample of Finnish employees aged 30-60 years (N=3676) and the validation population, the Helsinki Health Study, consisted of employees of the City of Helsinki aged 40-60 years (N=6391). Both surveys were linked to data on disability retirement awards due to MSD from national register for an 11-year follow-up. Results The discriminative ability of the model with seven predictors was good (Gönen and Heller's K concordance statistic=0.821). We gave points to seven predictors: sex-dependent age, level of education, pain limiting daily activities, multisite musculoskeletal pain, history of arthritis, and surgery for a spinal disorder or carpal tunnel syndrome. A score of 3 or higher out of 7 (top 30% of the index) had good sensitivity (83%) and specificity (70%). Individuals at the top 30% of the risk index were at 29 [95% confidence interval (CI) 15-55) times higher risk of disability retirement due to MSD than those at the bottom 40%. Conclusion This easy-to-use screening tool based on self-reported risk factor profiles can help identify individuals at high risk for disability retirement due to MSD.

An optimal sampling approach to modelling whole-body vibration exposure in all-terrain vehicle driving.

Exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) presents an occupational health risk and several safety standards obligate to measure WBV. The high cost of direct measurements in large epidemiological studies raises the question of the optimal sampling for estimating WBV exposures given by a large variation in exposure levels in real worksites. This paper presents a new approach to addressing this problem. A daily exposure to WBV was recorded for 9-24 days among 48 all-terrain vehicle drivers. Four data-sets based on root mean squared recordings were obtained from the measurement. The data were modelled using semi-variogram with spectrum analysis and the optimal sampling scheme was derived. The optimum sampling period was 140 min apart. The result was verified and validated in terms of its accuracy and statistical power. Recordings of two to three hours are probably needed to get a sufficiently unbiased daily WBV exposure estimate in real worksites. The developed model is general enough that is applicable to other cumulative exposures or biosignals. Practitioner Summary: Exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) presents an occupational health risk and safety standards obligate to measure WBV. However, direct measurements can be expensive. This paper presents a new approach to addressing this problem. The developed model is general enough that is applicable to other cumulative exposures or biosignals.

Protective determinants of sickness absence among employees with multisite pain-a 7-year follow-up.

We identified factors protective of all-cause sickness absence (SA) among subjects with multisite musculoskeletal pain (MSP). The nationally representative source sample comprised 3420 actively working Finns aged 30 to 55 in year 2000 and alive at follow-up. Pain in 18 body locations was combined into four sites (neck, low back, upper limbs, and lower limbs). The baseline prevalence of MSP (pain in ≥ 2 sites) was 32%. Baseline data on sociodemographic factors, work ability, work, health, and lifestyle were gathered by questionnaire, interview, and clinical examination and linked with national registers on all-cause SA (periods lasting ≥10 workdays) for 2002 to 2008. Based on trajectory analysis, 74% of those with MSP had a low and 26% a high probability of SA. In logistic regression analysis, younger age, male sex, and professional occupational group were inversely associated with SA. Allowing for these, good physician-assessed work ability, physically light work, possibility to adjust workday length, encouraging workplace atmosphere, no problems with working community or mental stress, normal weight, and no sleep disorders were predictive of lower SA rates (odds ratios between 0.47 and 0.70). In a final stepwise model adjusted for age, sex, and occupational group, no exposure to lifting (odds ratio 0.58, 95% confidence interval 0.39-0.85) and to repetitive hand movements (0.57, 0.39-0.83), possibility to adjust workday length (0.73, 0.53-0.99), and normal weight (0.59, 0.40-0.87) were inversely associated with SA. In conclusion, several modifiable factors related to work and lifestyle were found as predictive of lower rates of longer SA among occupationally active subjects with MSP.

Good work ability despite multisite musculoskeletal pain? A study among occupationally active Finns.

AIM: Although multisite pain (MSP) often threatens work ability (WA), some of those with MSP retain good WA. Our aim was to identify factors associated with good WA among subjects with MSP. METHODS: A nationally representative sample (the Health 2000-Study, response rate 87%) comprising 3884 occupationally active Finns aged 30-64 years. Data on WA, musculoskeletal pain, physical and psychosocial working conditions, chronic diseases, lifestyle and domestic situation were gathered by questionnaire, interview and clinical examination. Good current WA compared with the lifetime best was defined as ⩾9 on a 0-10 scale. Musculoskeletal pain in 18 body locations was combined into four sites, and thereafter pain in two or more sites was defined as MSP (N=1351). Poisson regression analysis was used to obtain prevalence rate ratios (PRR). RESULTS: Good WA was reported by 48% of the women and 37% of the men with MSP. In a multivariable model good WA was associated with younger age, female gender, physically non-strenuous work (PRR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.5), low job strain (1.2, 1.0-1.4), high supervisor support (1.2, 1.0-1.4), and not having musculoskeletal diseases (1.3, 1.1-1.5), mental disorders (1.4, 1.1-1.9), daytime tiredness (1.4, 1.2-1.7) or economic troubles (1.5, 1.1-1.9). Age-stratified analyses revealed also associations with high coworker support (1.2, 1.0-1.4) and strenuous leisure-time physical exercise (1.2, 1.0-1.4) in those aged 30-44 and low alcohol consumption (1.8, 1.2-2.6) in the age-group 45-64. CONCLUSIONS: Several potentially modifiable factors related to health, work, and lifestyle were associated with good WA among occupationally active subjects with MSP.

Alcohol-induced morbidity and mortality by occupation: a population-based follow-up study of working Finns.

BACKGROUND: To justify alcohol-related health promotion programs and target them at the correct workplaces, it is important to identify occupations with increased risk of severe health outcomes caused by alcohol. METHODS: Data on hospital admissions (854,555 men and 801,653 women) from the Finnish health care register and data on deaths from Statistics Finland from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2004 were merged with information from the 2000 population census. We assessed the age- and education-adjusted relationship between occupation and the sum of hospitalizations and death primarily caused by alcohol, using Cox proportional hazards regression. We also estimated the fraction of incidence of severe alcohol-induced health outcomes that are attributable to factors related to one's occupation (population attributable fraction). RESULTS: Most of the cases were men (80%), middle-aged and usually had no more than a secondary level of education. When the reference was professionals, who were at the lowest risk, those at increased risk were mostly manual workers in craft work, construction and service. However, we also found several non-manual occupations at a high risk. According to population attributable fraction, the proportion of severe alcohol-induced health outcomes would have been 31% lower among men and 20% lower among women if all occupational groups had been at the same risk as professionals. CONCLUSIONS: We detected considerable occupational differences in alcohol-induced morbidity and mortality among a nationally representative working population. This indicates a need for alcohol-focused health promotion programs in these high-risk occupations.

Abstinence and current or former alcohol use as predictors of disability retirement in Finland.

AIM: According to previous studies, abstinence from alcohol increases the risk of disability retirement (DR). We studied whether former alcohol users' poor mental or physical health might have contributed to this result. METHODS: Prospective population-based study of 3621 occupationally active Finns aged 30-55 years at baseline. Disability pension data for 2000-2011 was retrieved from national pension records. We examined medically certified disability retirement due to all causes and due to mental disorders among lifelong abstainers, former drinkers, those with an alcohol use disorder irrespective of consumption and current users, further classified according to weekly intake of alcohol. Chronic somatic diseases were evaluated in a clinical examination and common mental and alcohol use disorders using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Cox regression was used. RESULTS: Neither lifelong abstinence nor alcohol consumption, even at hazardous levels, without alcohol use disorder was associated with disability retirement. Compared with light drinkers, former drinkers' hazard ratio for DR due to mental disorders was 2.67 (95% CI 1.39-5.13), allowing for somatic and mental morbidity, physical and psychosocial workload, health behaviour and socio-demographic factors. The respective hazard ratio of DR due to all causes for those with alcohol use disorder was 2.17 (1.49-3.16) and of DR due to mental disorders 4.04 (2.02 to 8.06). CONCLUSIONS: Lifelong abstinence did not predict disability retirement. Former drinkers and people with alcohol use disorders were at a multi-fold risk of work disability due to mental disorders compared with light drinkers, thus it is important to support their work ability.

Psychosocial factors at work and obesity among young finnish adults: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between occupational psychosocial factors and obesity among 31-year-olds, adjusting for adolescent body mass index, physical strenuousness of work, and adverse health behaviors (ie, stress-related eating/drinking, leisure-time physical inactivity, smoking, and high alcohol consumption). METHODS: The study population comprised 2083 men and 1770 women from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. Obesity was defined as a body mass index of 30.0 kg/m or more. Psychosocial exposures were defined in terms of demands, control, and social support at work. RESULTS: Among men, high job demands and low worksite social support were independently associated with obesity. Among women, stress-related eating/drinking and physical inactivity seemed to promote obesity. Body mass index at age 14 was an important predictor of obesity for both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: In workplace obesity prevention programs, it might be beneficial to improve the psychosocial work environment and promote healthy behaviors simultaneously.

Common mental and musculoskeletal disorders as predictors of disability retirement among Finns.

BACKGROUND: The contribution of common mental disorders (CMD) co-occurring with chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) to disability retirement is not known. METHODS: A nationally representative sample (the Health 2000 survey) comprised 3943 occupationally active Finns aged 30-63. MSD and other chronic disorders were assessed by a physician in a standardized clinical examination, and CMD using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Disability pension data for 2000-2011 was retrieved from national pension records. Cox regression was used with censoring for death and pension other than that for disability. Covariate information was based on an interview. RESULTS: The baseline prevalence of CMD was 9.4% and of MSD 31.1%. CMD co-occurred with MSD in 3.3% of participants. The risks inflicted by CMD and MSD were additive. Thirty-eight per cent of the co-morbid subjects, 18% of those with CMD and 19% of those with MSD retired prematurely during the average follow-up of 8.6 years. Compared with those with neither type of disorder, the hazard ratio (HR) for disability pension was 2.4 (95% CI 1.7-2.7) for CMD only, 2.2 (1.8-2.7) for MSD only, and 4.1 (2.9-5.7) for the occurrence of both, allowing for age, gender, other chronic disorders, working conditions, and socio-economic and lifestyle factors. No synergistic or antagonistic interactive effects were observed. LIMITATIONS: The determinants were measured only once and we had no information on incident disorders during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to identify subjects with both mental and musculoskeletal complaints in order to efficiently support their work ability.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and the risk of knee and hip osteoarthritis leading to hospitalization: a cohort study of 5274 Finns.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether low levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] predicts the development of knee or hip OA. METHODS: The cohort consisted of 5274 participants in a national health examination survey who had no knee or hip OA at baseline. Information about the incidence of OA was drawn from the National Health Care Register. During the follow-up of 10 years (50 134 person-years), 127 subjects developed incident, physician-diagnosed OA in the knee and 45 in the hip joint. The information on covariates, including age, sex, education, BMI, work load, leisure time physical activity, smoking history, knee or hip complaint during the past month and previous injuries, was gathered at baseline. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were determined from baseline serum samples. RESULTS: After adjustment for age and gender, serum 25(OH)D showed statistically significant associations with known risk factors for OA except injuries. In the fully adjusted model, low serum 25(OH)D concentration did not predict increased incidence of knee and hip OA. CONCLUSION: The results do not support the hypothesis that low levels of serum 25(OH)D contribute to the development of knee or hip OA.

Predictors of sickness absence related to musculoskeletal pain: a two-year follow-up study of workers in municipal kitchens.

OBJECTIVE: We studied predictors of sickness absences (SA) due to musculoskeletal pain over two years among 386 municipal female kitchen workers. METHODS: Pain and SA periods (no/yes) due to pain in seven sites during the past three months were assessed at 3-month intervals over two years by questionnaire. Age, musculoskeletal pain, multisite pain (pain in ≥3 sites), musculoskeletal and other somatic diseases, depressive symptoms, physical and psychosocial workload, body mass index, smoking, and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) at baseline were considered as predictors. Trajectory analysis and multinomial logistic regression were used. RESULTS: Three trajectories of SA emerged, labelled as "none" (41% of the subjects), "intermediate" (48%), and "high" (11%). With the "none" trajectory (no SA) as reference, pain in all musculoskeletal sites excepting the low back predicted belonging to the "intermediate" [odds ratio (OR) 1.82-2.48] or "high" (OR 2.56-3.74) trajectory adjusted for age; multisite pain predicted membership of the "intermediate" [OR 2.15, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.38-3.34] or "high" (OR 4.66, 95% CI 2.10-10.3) trajectories. In a mutually adjusted final model, smoking (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.22-3.69), multisite pain (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.15-3.02), and overweight/obesity (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.08-2.72) predicted belonging to the "intermediate" trajectory, while depressive symptoms (OR 3.57, 95% CI 1.57-8.10), musculoskeletal diseases (OR 3.18, 95% CI 1.37-7.37), and multisite pain (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.15-6.40) were associated with the "high" trajectory. CONCLUSION: Along with the number of pain sites and musculoskeletal diseases, attention to depressive symptoms, smoking, and overweight/obesity is needed to tackle SA related to musculoskeletal pain.

Does strenuous leisure time physical activity prevent severe back disorders leading to hospitalization?

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To study the associations between strenuous leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and subsequent hospitalization due to back disorders. Socioeconomic and lifestyle factors are associated with back-related hospitalization, but the significance of strenuous LTPA in the working population is unclear. METHODS: The cohort (n = 902) was drawn from among employees in the metal industry (n = 2,653). Data were collected by a questionnaire and a structured interview on LTPA. Activity regarding strenuous (>500 kcal/h) LTPA was categorized as none, some, and high. Information from national registers on hospitalizations and deaths during 28 years of follow-up was linked to the data. Cox proportional hazards regression was used. RESULTS: Subjects with a high level of strenuous LTPA had a decreased risk of hospitalization due to back disorders (hazard ratio 0.40; 95% CI 0.21-0.79) compared with persons with no strenuous activity, after adjustment for age and gender. The association persisted (0.48; 0.24-0.96) when further adjusted for occupational class, self-reported back diseases, smoking, and body mass index at baseline. CONCLUSION: Strenuous LTPA decreased the risk of inpatient hospital care for back disorders among industrial employees.