Relative risks (RR) of a new sickness absence episode and incidence rate ratios (IRR) for the number of sickness absence days by occupational class
| Occupational class | Women, aged 25–64 | Men, aged 25–64 | ||||||
| RR* | 95% CI | IRR† | 95% CI | RR* | 95% CI | IRR† | 95% CI | |
| All musculoskeletal diseases (M00–M99) | ||||||||
| Upper non-manual | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||
| Lower non-manual | 2.41 | 2.32 to 2.50 | 1.18 | 1.14 to 1.22 | 2.12 | 2.01 to 2.23 | 1.18 | 1.12 to 1.24 |
| Manual workers | 3.71 | 3.57 to 3.86 | 1.29 | 1.24 to 1.34 | 4.04 | 3.86 to 4.23 | 1.36 | 1.30 to 1.42 |
| All back disorders (M40–M54) | ||||||||
| Upper non-manual | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||
| Lower non-manual | 2.53 | 2.39 to 2.69 | 1.14 | 1.08 to 1.21 | 2.17 | 2.00 to 2.36 | 1.16 | 1.07 to 1.27 |
| Manual workers | 3.33 | 3.13 to 3.55 | 1.23 | 1.16 to 1.31 | 4.04 | 3.76 to 4.35 | 1.31 | 1.22 to 1.41 |
| Back pain (M54) | ||||||||
| Upper non-manual | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||
| Lower non-manual | 3.11 | 2.86 to 3.37 | 1.11 | 1.03 to 1.19 | 2.68 | 2.36 to 3.04 | 1.10 | 0.98 to 1.24 |
| Manual workers | 4.26 | 3.90 to 4.65 | 1.26 | 1.17 to 1.36 | 5.64 | 5.04 to 6.30 | 1.24 | 1.12 to 1.38 |
| Disc disorders (M50–M51) | ||||||||
| Upper non-manual | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||
| Lower non-manual | 1.72 | 1.54 to 1.93 | 1.27 | 1.15 to 1.41 | 1.80 | 1.57 to 2.07 | 1.43 | 1.26 to 1.62 |
| Manual workers | 1.97 | 1.73 to 2.23 | 1.55 | 1.37 to 1.74 | 2.73 | 2.42 to 3.09 | 1.77 | 1.59 to 1.98 |
| Shoulder disorders (M75) | ||||||||
| Upper non-manual | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||
| Lower non-manual | 3.13 | 2.79 to 3.53 | 1.22 | 1.09 to 1.37 | 2.53 | 2.15 to 2.98 | 1.22 | 1.06 to 1.42 |
| Manual workers | 6.06 | 5.37 to 6.84 | 1.29 | 1.15 to 1.44 | 6.35 | 5.51 to 7.30 | 1.38 | 1.22 to 1.57 |
| All osteoarthritis (M15–M19) | ||||||||
| Upper non-manual | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||
| Lower non-manual | 1.88 | 1.71 to 2.08 | 1.31 | 1.20 to 1.44 | 1.85 | 1.62 to 2.12 | 1.18 | 1.04 to 1.33 |
| Manual workers | 3.06 | 2.75 to 3.39 | 1.42 | 1.29 to 1.56 | 2.91 | 2.60 to 3.27 | 1.46 | 1.31 to 1.61 |
| Knee osteoarthritis (M17) | ||||||||
| Upper non-manual | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||
| Lower non-manual | 1.85 | 1.61 to 2.12 | 1.26 | 1.11 to 1.44 | 2.15 | 1.75 to 2.64 | 1.15 | 0.94 to 1.40 |
| Manual workers | 3.01 | 2.60 to 3.49 | 1.35 | 1.17 to 1.55 | 3.80 | 3.18 to 4.55 | 1.50 | 1.27 to 1.78 |
| Hip osteoarthritis (M16) | ||||||||
| Upper non-manual | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||
| Lower non-manual | 1.40 | 1.14 to 1.72 | 1.28 | 1.09 to 1.51 | 1.35 | 1.06 to 1.73 | 1.39 | 1.16 to 1.67 |
| Manual workers | 1.66 | 1.31 to 2.10 | 1.29 | 1.07 to 1.56 | 1.58 | 1.28 to 1.95 | 1.79 | 1.54 to 2.10 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis (M05–M06) | ||||||||
| Upper non-manual | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||
| Lower non-manual | 2.24 | 1.70 to 2.94 | 1.40 | 1.08 to 1.82 | 3.52 | 1.72 to 7.21 | 2.09 | 1.05 to 4.14 |
| Manual workers | 2.79 | 2.06 to 3.78 | 1.78 | 1.34 to 2.37 | 4.00 | 2.05 to 7.79 | 2.29 | 1.21 to 4.33 |
| Other musculoskeletal diseases | ||||||||
| Upper non-manual | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||
| Lower non-manual | 2.38 | 2.23 to 2.53 | 1.09 | 1.03 to 1.15 | 2.11 | 1.91 to 2.32 | 1.14 | 1.04 to 1.24 |
| Manual workers | 3.98 | 3.73 to 4.25 | 1.20 | 1.13 to 1.27 | 4.25 | 3.91 to 4.62 | 1.27 | 1.18 to 1.36 |