The panorama of future sick-leave diagnoses among young adults initially long-term sickness absent due to neck, shoulder, or back diagnoses. An 11-year prospective cohort study

Marjan Vaez,Jan Hagberg,Kristina Alexanderson

doi:10.1186/1471-2474-10-84

Marjan Vaez, Jan Hagberg + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-10-84

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Abstract

BackgroundLittle is known about future sick-leave diagnoses among individuals on long-term sickness absence. The aim of this study was to describe the panorama of sick-leave diagnoses over time among young adults initially sick-listed for ≥ 28 days due to back, neck, or shoulder diagnosesMethodsAn 11-year prospective population-based cohort study including all 213 individuals in a Swedish municipality who, in 1985, were aged 25–34 years and had a new sick-leave spell ≥ 28 days due to neck, shoulder, or back diagnoses.ResultsOver the 11-year period, the young adults in this cohort had 176,825 sick-leave days in 7,878 sick-leave periods (in 4,610 sick-leave spells) due to disorders in 17 of the 18 ICD-8 diagnostic categories (International Classification of Diseases, Revision 8). Musculoskeletal or mental diagnoses accounted for most of the sick-leave days, whereas most of the sick-leave periods were due to musculoskeletal, respiratory, or infectious disorders, or to unclassified symptoms. Most cohort members had had four to eight different sick-leave diagnoses over the 11 years, although some had had up to 11 diagnoses. Only two individuals (1%) had been sickness absent solely due to musculoskeletal diagnoses.ConclusionAlthough the young adults initially were sick listed with back, neck, or shoulder diagnoses, their sickness absence during the follow up were due to a wide variety of other medical diagnoses. It might be that the ill-health content of sickness absence due to back pain is greater than usually assumed. More research on prognoses of sick-leave diagnoses among long-term sick listed is warranted.

Highlights

Little is known about future sick-leave diagnoses among individuals on long-term sickness absence
Musculoskeletal disorders have been the most common reason for sickness absence and disability pension (DP) in the working population [1]. Even though these medical conditions are likely to be recurrent and long-lasting, and can often result in DP [5], very little is known about the prognoses of the patients sick listed due to musculoskeletal disorders [1]
The current findings indicate that many young adults who initially had long-term sickness absence due to neck, shoulder, or back disorders have a wide range of ill health

Summary

Introduction

Little is known about future sick-leave diagnoses among individuals on long-term sickness absence. Musculoskeletal disorders have been the most common reason for sickness absence and disability pension (DP) in the working population [1]. Even though these medical conditions are likely to be recurrent and long-lasting, and can often result in DP [5], very little is known about the prognoses of the patients sick listed due to musculoskeletal disorders [1]. The variation of sick-leave diagnoses between, as well as within sick-leave periods is another important issue that needs to be considered Patients with this type of disorders (e.g., low-back, neck, or shoulder pain) very often seek clinical help and issuing a sick note is a very common measure taken by physicians. Determining the work ability of such patients is an even greater challenge for the physicians concerned [1]

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