Table 2

Number (n) and proportions (%) of persons having at least one new sickness absence episode and average length of absence due to different musculoskeletal diagnoses by occupational class

Occupational class	Women, aged 25–64			Men, aged 25–64
Occupational class	n	%	Mean days	n	%	Mean days
All musculoskeletal diseases (M00–M99)
Upper non-manual	3222	1.9	57	2007	1.2	59
Lower non-manual	17 408	4.6	67	3798	2.4	67
Manual workers	9257	7.2	74	12 950	4.7	78
All	29 887	4.4	68	18 749	3.1	74
All back disorders (M40–M54)
Upper non-manual	1289	0.8	56	821	0.5	62
Lower non-manual	7230	1.9	64	1615	1.0	70
Manual workers	3259	2.5	70	5321	1.9	79
All	11 778	1.7	64	7757	1.3	76
Back pain (M54)
Upper non-manual	652	0.4	40	344	0.2	40
Lower non-manual	4463	1.2	44	846	0.5	44
Manual workers	2086	1.6	50	3127	1.1	50
All	7201	1.1	46	4317	0.7	48
Disc disorders (M50–M51)
Upper non-manual	397	0.2	74	320	0.2	64
Lower non-manual	1526	0.4	94	527	0.3	90
Manual workers	599	0.5	114	1407	0.5	112
All	2522	0.4	96	2254	0.4	100
Shoulder disorders (M75)
Upper non-manual	315	0.2	54	213	0.1	58
Lower non-manual	2235	0.6	66	470	0.3	68
Manual workers	1507	1.2	70	2141	0.8	78
All	4057	0.6	66	2824	0.5	75
All osteoarthritis (M15–M19)
Upper non-manual	486	0.3	75	352	0.2	81
Lower non-manual	2178	0.6	99	542	0.3	92
Manual workers	1281	1.0	107	1612	0.6	115
All	3945	0.6	98	2506	0.4	105
Knee osteoarthritis (M17)
Upper non-manual	244	0.1	72	141	0.1	74
Lower non-manual	1072	0.3	90	249	0.2	82
Manual workers	632	0.5	97	842	0.3	108
All	1948	0.3	90	1232	0.2	99
Hip osteoarthritis (M16)
Upper non-manual	117	0.1	97	122	0.1	87
Lower non-manual	390	0.1	124	136	0.1	114
Manual workers	168	0.1	125	303	0.1	152
All	675	0.1	119	561	0.1	129
Rheumatoid arthritis (M05–M06)
Upper non-manual	61	0.0	60	10	0.0	44
Lower non-manual	311	0.1	87	30	0.0	97
Manual workers	136	0.1	111	63	0.0	105
All	508	0.1	90	103	0.0	97
Other musculoskeletal diseases
Upper non-manual	1144	0.7	47	629	0.4	42
Lower non-manual	6076	1.6	51	1208	0.8	47
Manual workers	3513	2.7	56	4295	1.6	52
All	10 733	1.6	52	6132	1.0	51

All musculoskeletal diagnoses based on the International Classification of Diseases-10 (codes M00–M99 in parentheses).