Table 3.
Summary of results from the literature: risk factors, relevance of studies and main results
| Factors | n studies | n studies with significant results | Relevance | Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High (low risk of bias) | Moderate (unclear risk of bias) | Low (high risk of bias) | ||||
| Socio-demographic | ||||||
| Age | 19 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | Women aged ≥50 and men aged ≥55 are more at risk. |
| Education or income | 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Low educational and income levels predict prolonged time to RTW. |
| Disease and treatment-related | ||||||
| Cancer site | 13 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | Head and neck, lung and breast cancers and leukaemia impede RTW. |
| Stage | 7 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | Advanced cancer stages substantially lengthen sickness leave. |
| Treatment | 21 | 18 | 1 | 9 | 8 | Chemotherapy and combination of therapies are negatively associated with RTW. |
| Symptoms | 11 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 5 | Fatigue, pain and depression are the main impeding symptoms. |
| Work-related | ||||||
| Type, sector and job demands | 13 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | Lower occupational class, private sector and demanding jobs impede the (time to) RTW. |
| Employers’ and colleagues’ support | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | Support of colleagues and employers predict quicker and easier RTW. |
| Personal and subjective | ||||||
| Value of work | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | The (re)evaluation of the importance of paid work substantially affects the choice to RTW. |
| Total | 43 | 10 | 19 | 14 | ||