Table 3. Associations of group-level risk factors with prolonged sickness absence (>5days in total) in past 12 months because of musculoskeletal disorders.
Analysis was based on 47 occupational groups.
| Risk factor | Number of occupational groups exposed | Level of exposure |
Model 4a | Model 5b | Model 6b | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | (SDc) | PRR | (95% CI) | PRR | (95% CI) | PRR | (95% CI) | ||
| Unemployment rate ≥10% | 12 | 1.05 | (0.74-1.48) | 0.98 | (0.61-1.57) | 1.04 | (0.70-1.54) | ||
| Full sick pay in first three months absence | 25 | 1.11 | (0.80-1.54) | 1.07 | (0.72-1.59) | 1.06 | (0.74-1.52) | ||
| Social security for long-term unemployment | 28 | 1.28 | (0.94-1.75) | 0.80 | (0.47-1.37) | 0.87 | (0.48-1.58) | ||
| Financial support for ill-health retirement (sometimes or usually) | 28 | 1.31 | (0.90-1.89) | 1.33 | (0.87-2.01) | 0.98 | (0.65-1.46) | ||
| Payment for primary care (part or full) | 19 | 0.91 | (0.66-1.26) | 1.02 | (0.65-1.61) | 1.09 | (0.69-1.71) | ||
| Compensation for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (any) | 38 | 1.27 | (0.92-1.75) | 1.11 | (0.73-1.70) | 1.08 | (0.77-1.51) | ||
| Group prevalence (%) of adverse beliefs about work-relatedness of musculoskeletal paind | 47 | 39 | 21 | 0.93 | (0.82-1.06) | 1.24 | (1.04-1.48) | 1.22 | (1.01-1.47) |
| Group prevalence (%) of adverse beliefs about musculoskeletal pain and physical activityd | 47 | 22 | 19 | 0.84 | (0.71-0.99) | 0.62 | (0.48-0.81) | 0.68 | (0.53-0.85) |
| Group prevalence (%) of adverse beliefs about prognosis of musculoskeletal paind | 47 | 16 | 9 | 1.02 | (0.88-1.18) | 1.02 | (0.85-1.22) | 1.03 | (0.86-1.23) |
| Group prevalence (%) of time pressure at workd | 47 | 77 | 16 | 1.33 | (1.14-1.56) | 1.54 | (1.30-1.82) | 1.43 | (1.24-1.65) |
| Group prevalence (%) of lack of support at workd | 47 | 22 | 20 | 1.03 | (0.93-1.15) | 1.04 | (0.92-1.17) | 1.06 | (0.93-1.22) |
| Group prevalence (%) of job dissatisfactiond | 47 | 17 | 16 | 0.95 | (0.76-1.20) | 1.10 | (0.91-1.33) | 1.05 | (0.84-1.32) |
| Group prevalence (%) of lack of job controld | 47 | 22 | 20 | 1.20 | (1.03-1.40) | 1.28 | (1.12-1.47) | 1.08 | (0.90-1.28) |
| Group prevalence (%) of job insecurityd | 47 | 31 | 18 | 0.91 | (0.74-1.11) | 0.79 | (0.67-0.93) | 0.94 | (0.78-1.13) |
| Group prevalence (%) of >5days absence in past 12 months for other illnessd | 47 | 10 | 6 | 1.45 | (1.28-1.64) | 1.34 | (1.16-1.56) | ||
a
Each risk factor analysed independently in a separate Poisson regression model
b
Mutually adjusted risk estimates derived from a single Poisson regression model incorporating all of the risk factors for which results are presented
c
Mean and standard deviation of prevalence (%) across the 47 occupational groups
d
Analysed as a continuous variable. Risk estimates are for an increase of one standard deviation