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Secular trends in work disability and its relationship to musculoskeletal pain and mental health : A time-trend analysis using five cross-sectional surveys (2002-2010) in the general population

Wynne-Jones, Gwenllian ; Chen, Ying ; Croft, Peter ; Peat, George ; Wilkie, Ross ; Jordan, Kelvin and Petersson, Ingemar F. LU (2018) In Occupational and environmental medicine 75(12). p.877-883
Abstract

Objectives: International evidence suggests that rates of inability to work because of illness can change over time. We hypothesised that one reason for this is that the link between inability to work and common illnesses, such as musculoskeletal pain and mental illness, may also change over time. We have investigated this in a study based in one UK district. Methods: Five population surveys (spanning 2002-2010) of working-age people aged >50 years and ≤65 years were used. Work disability was defined as a single self-reported item € not working due to ill-health'. Presence of moderate-severe depressive symptoms was identified from the Mental Component Score of the Short Form-12, and pain from a full-body manikin. Data were analysed... (More)

Objectives: International evidence suggests that rates of inability to work because of illness can change over time. We hypothesised that one reason for this is that the link between inability to work and common illnesses, such as musculoskeletal pain and mental illness, may also change over time. We have investigated this in a study based in one UK district. Methods: Five population surveys (spanning 2002-2010) of working-age people aged >50 years and ≤65 years were used. Work disability was defined as a single self-reported item € not working due to ill-health'. Presence of moderate-severe depressive symptoms was identified from the Mental Component Score of the Short Form-12, and pain from a full-body manikin. Data were analysed with multivariable logistic regression. Results: The proportion of people reporting work disability across the surveys declined, from 17.0% in 2002 to 12.1% in 2010. Those reporting work disability, one-third reported regional pain, one-half widespread pain (53%) and two-thirds moderate-severe depressive symptoms (68%). Both factors were independently associated with work disability; their co-occurrence was associated with an almost 20-fold increase in the odds of reporting work disability compared with those with neither condition. Conclusions: The association of work disability with musculoskeletal pain was stable over time; depressive symptoms became more prominent in persons reporting work disability, but overall prevalence of work disability declined. The frequency and impact of both musculoskeletal pain and depression highlight the need to move beyond symptom-directed approaches towards a more comprehensive model of health and vocational advice for people unable to work because of illness.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
epidemiology, mental health, musculoskeletal, public health
in
Occupational and environmental medicine
volume
75
issue
12
pages
877 - 883
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • scopus:85052887541
  • pmid:30154215
ISSN
1351-0711
DOI
10.1136/oemed-2018-105171
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
970c93a0-96d6-4cfc-92e0-402f8a395341
date added to LUP
2018-10-23 09:42:33
date last changed
2024-04-15 14:44:39
@article{970c93a0-96d6-4cfc-92e0-402f8a395341,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objectives: International evidence suggests that rates of inability to work because of illness can change over time. We hypothesised that one reason for this is that the link between inability to work and common illnesses, such as musculoskeletal pain and mental illness, may also change over time. We have investigated this in a study based in one UK district. Methods: Five population surveys (spanning 2002-2010) of working-age people aged &gt;50 years and ≤65 years were used. Work disability was defined as a single self-reported item € not working due to ill-health'. Presence of moderate-severe depressive symptoms was identified from the Mental Component Score of the Short Form-12, and pain from a full-body manikin. Data were analysed with multivariable logistic regression. Results: The proportion of people reporting work disability across the surveys declined, from 17.0% in 2002 to 12.1% in 2010. Those reporting work disability, one-third reported regional pain, one-half widespread pain (53%) and two-thirds moderate-severe depressive symptoms (68%). Both factors were independently associated with work disability; their co-occurrence was associated with an almost 20-fold increase in the odds of reporting work disability compared with those with neither condition. Conclusions: The association of work disability with musculoskeletal pain was stable over time; depressive symptoms became more prominent in persons reporting work disability, but overall prevalence of work disability declined. The frequency and impact of both musculoskeletal pain and depression highlight the need to move beyond symptom-directed approaches towards a more comprehensive model of health and vocational advice for people unable to work because of illness.</p>}},
  author       = {{Wynne-Jones, Gwenllian and Chen, Ying and Croft, Peter and Peat, George and Wilkie, Ross and Jordan, Kelvin and Petersson, Ingemar F.}},
  issn         = {{1351-0711}},
  keywords     = {{epidemiology; mental health; musculoskeletal; public health}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{877--883}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Occupational and environmental medicine}},
  title        = {{Secular trends in work disability and its relationship to musculoskeletal pain and mental health : A time-trend analysis using five cross-sectional surveys (2002-2010) in the general population}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2018-105171}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/oemed-2018-105171}},
  volume       = {{75}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}