Medically unexplained symptoms and the risk of loss of labor market participation--a prospective study in the Danish population

BMC Public Health
Katja LoengaardReiner Rugulies

Abstract

Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS) are frequently encountered in general practice. However, little is known whether MUS affects labor market participation. We investigated the prospective association between MUS at baseline and risk of long-term sickness absence (LTSA), unemployment, and disability pensioning in a 5-year-follow-up study. In the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study 2005, 8187 randomly selected employees from the Danish general population answered a questionnaire on work and health. Responses were linked with national registers on prescribed medication and hospital treatment. Participants were classified with MUS if they: a) had reported three or more symptoms during the last month, and b) did not have a chronic condition, neither in the self-reported nor the register data. We assessed LTSA, unemployment, and disability pensioning by linking our data with National registers of social transfer payments. Of the 8187 participants, 272 (3.3%) were categorized with MUS. Compared to healthy participants, participants with MUS had an increased risk of LTSA (Rate ratio (RR) = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.28-2.42), and of unemployment (RR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.02-2.15) during follow-up. MUS participants also showed an elevated RR with...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jun 1, 2018·Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine·Alix Félin-GermainGuillaume Foldes-Busque
Aug 15, 2019·Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care·Karin StarzmannKristina Bengtsson Boström
Oct 4, 2020·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Kristel WeerdesteijnJohannes Anema
Aug 28, 2021·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Elín BroddadóttirJón Friðrik Sigurðsson

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
PCRR

Software Mentioned

POP
MUS
DREAM

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