Medically unexplained symptoms and the risk of loss of labor market participation: a prospective study in the Danish population

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

SN - 1471-2458

VL - 15

SP - 1

EP - 10

JO - BMC Public Health

JF - BMC Public Health

M1 - 844

ER -