Associations of group-level risk factors with prolonged sickness absence (>5 days in total) in past 12 months because of musculoskeletal disorders
| Risk factor | Number of occupational groups exposed | Level of exposure | Model 4* | Model 5† | Model 6† | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | (SD‡) | PRR | (95% CI) | PRR | (95% CI) | PRR | (95% CI) | ||
| Unemployment rate ≥10% | 12 | 1.05 | (0.74 to 1.48) | 0.98 | (0.61 to 1.57) | 1.04 | (0.70 to 1.54) | ||
| Full sick pay in first three months absence | 25 | 1.11 | (0.80 to 1.54) | 1.07 | (0.72 to 1.59) | 1.06 | (0.74 to 1.52) | ||
| Social security for long-term unemployment | 28 | 1.28 | (0.94 to 1.75) | 0.80 | (0.47 to 1.37) | 0.87 | (0.48 to 1.58) | ||
| Financial support for ill-health retirement (sometimes or usually) | 28 | 1.31 | (0.90 to 1.89) | 1.33 | (0.87 to 2.01) | 0.98 | (0.65 to 1.46) | ||
| Payment for primary care (part or full) | 19 | 0.91 | (0.66 to 1.26) | 1.02 | (0.65 to 1.61) | 1.09 | (0.69 to 1.71) | ||
| Compensation for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (any) | 38 | 1.27 | (0.92 to 1.75) | 1.11 | (0.73 to 1.70) | 1.08 | (0.77 to 1.51) | ||
| Group prevalence (%) of adverse beliefs about work-relatedness of musculoskeletal pain§ | 47 | 39 | 21 | 0.93 | (0.82 to 1.06) | 1.24 | (1.04 to 1.48) | 1.22 | (1.01 to 1.47) |
| Group prevalence (%) of adverse beliefs about musculoskeletal pain and physical activity§ | 47 | 22 | 19 | 0.84 | (0.71 to 0.99) | 0.62 | (0.48 to 0.81) | 0.68 | (0.53 to 0.85) |
| Group prevalence (%) of adverse beliefs about prognosis of musculoskeletal pain§ | 47 | 16 | 9 | 1.02 | (0.88 to 1.18) | 1.02 | (0.85 to 1.22) | 1.03 | (0.86 to 1.23) |
| Group prevalence (%) of time pressure at work§ | 47 | 77 | 16 | 1.33 | (1.14 to 1.56) | 1.54 | (1.30 to 1.82) | 1.43 | (1.24 to 1.65) |
| Group prevalence (%) of lack of support at work§ | 47 | 22 | 20 | 1.03 | (0.93 to 1.15) | 1.04 | (0.92 to 1.17) | 1.06 | (0.93 to 1.22) |
| Group prevalence (%) of job dissatisfaction§ | 47 | 17 | 16 | 0.95 | (0.76 to 1.20) | 1.10 | (0.91 to 1.33) | 1.05 | (0.84 to 1.32) |
| Group prevalence (%) of lack of job control§ | 47 | 22 | 20 | 1.20 | (1.03 to 1.40) | 1.28 | (1.12 to 1.47) | 1.08 | (0.90 to 1.28) |
| Group prevalence (%) of job insecurity§ | 47 | 31 | 18 | 0.91 | (0.74 to 1.11) | 0.79 | (0.67 to 0.93) | 0.94 | (0.78 to 1.13) |
| Group prevalence (%) of >5days absence in past 12 months for other illness§ | 47 | 10 | 6 | 1.45 | (1.28 to 1.64) | 1.34 | (1.16 to 1.56) | ||
Analysis was based on 47 occupational groups.
*Each risk factor analysed independently in a separate Poisson regression model.
†Mutually adjusted risk estimates derived from a single Poisson regression model incorporating all the risk factors for which results are presented.
‡Mean and SD of prevalence (%) across the 47 occupational groups.
§Analysed as a continuous variable. Risk estimates are for an increase of one SD.
PRR, prevalence rate ratio.