Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of the participants (n = 201–208)
| Variables | Frequency (%) |
|---|---|
| Age (years) (M, SD) | 49.63 ± 9.71 |
| Country of birth | |
| Sweden | 200 (96) |
| Others | 8 (4) |
| Cohabitation | |
| Living with partner | 158 (76) |
| Living alone | 39 (19) |
| Living apart | 11 (5) |
| Education | |
| Elementary | 42 (20) |
| Upper secondary | 104 (50) |
| University | 53 (26) |
| Others | 9 (4) |
| Types of work | |
| Blue-collar | 145 (70) |
| White-collar | 63 (30) |
| aWorking life prior to SL (years) (M, SD) | 30.15 ± 10.75 |
| Economic situation | |
| Very dissatisfied | 25 (12) |
| Dissatisfied | 43 (21) |
| Acceptable | 88 (42) |
| Good | 38 (18) |
| Very good | 11 (5) |
| Pain area | |
| Neck/shoulders | 142 (68) |
| Back | 148 (71) |
| Neck/shoulders and back | 89 (43) |
| Pain duration (months) (M, SD) | 83.63 ± 99.64 |
| Physical activity | |
| 0 day/week | 26 (13) |
| 1–3 days/week | 81 (39) |
| 4–5 days/week | 57 (27) |
| 6–7 days/week | 41 (20) |
| Beliefs to be back at the same work (1–10 scale) (M, SD) | 6.56 ± 3.73 |
aTotal working years before being sick-listed
M Mean and SD Standard deviation, SL Sick leave