Health and disability pension – An intersection of disease,
psychosocial stress and gender. Long term follow up of persons with impairment
of the loco motor system
Affiliations: Department of Primary Health Care, University of
Göteborg, Sweden | National Institute for Working Life, Stockholm,
Sweden | Division of Geriatric Epidemiology, Neurotec,
Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Per-Olof Kaiser, MD, Department of
Primary Health Care, University of Göteborg, PB 454, SE-405 30
Göteborg, Sweden. Tel.: +46 70 632 90 60; Fax: +46 70 612 90 60; E-mail:
po@pomedic.se
Abstract: Objectives: To evaluate the outcome after 1, 2, 3 and 10 years of
rehabilitation conducted by the Swedish Social Insurance Office, in relation to
socioeconomic, psychosocial and gender aspects. Study design: A retro and prospective study of 372
individuals rehabilitated by the National Swedish Insurance Office 1993–1994.
Diagnose, socio demographic data, Sense of Coherence and Perceived Health were
compared with register data in terms of sickness benefit and disability pension
up to 10 years. Results: At the 10 year follow up 52% of the men and
57% of the women were granted any kind of DP. 82% of the men with low PH
and women with a PM or a low PH had any kind of benefit 10 year after
rehabilitation started. High age and low PH increases the risk of a full DP
after 3 as well as 10 years for both men and women. At the 3 year follow up
however, low education was also important for a full DP for men and having a
Psychosocial Marker for women. The factors civil status and kind of profession
did not significantly relate to a full DP after 10 year. Conclusions: In different ways factors as age, education,
psychosocial stress, Sense of Coherence and Perceived Health mediate the
rehabilitation process in significant ways by affecting the manifestation of
the disease itself and/or via the context in which the rehabilitation takes
place, in combination with individual factors that acts over a long time. Age
and Perceived Health seems to be the most important factors of them all.
Keywords: Sense of coherence, perceived health, disability pension, socio-demographic factors, gender
