Social Support as a Predictor of Disability Pension: The Finnish Health 2000 Study

• Published in: Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 2010-07, Vol.52 (7), p.733-739, Article 733
• Main Authors: Sinokki, Marjo, Hinkka, Katariina, Ahola, Kirsi, Gould, Raija, Puukka, Pauli, Lönnqvist, Jouko, Virtanen, Marianna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Disability pensions; Employees; Female; Finland - epidemiology; Health behavior; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Occupational health; Occupational medicine; Original Articles; Pensions; Prospective Studies; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Retirement - statistics & numerical data; Sick Leave - statistics & numerical data; Smoking - epidemiology; Social Support; Supervisors
• ISSN: 1076-2752; 1536-5948
• DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181e79525

Objective: Social support at work and in private life was examined as a predictor of disability pension in the population-based Finnish Health 2000 study. Methods: Social support was measured in a nationally representative sample comprising of 3414 employees aged 30 to 64 years. Disability pensions extracted from the registers of the Finnish Centre for Pensions were followed up across 6 years. Results: Low social support from supervisors was associated with disability pension with an odds ratio of 1.70 (95% confidence interval, 1.21 to 2.38) when adjusted with sociodemographic and health behavior variables. After adjustment for baseline perceived health, the associations between supervisor support and disability pension strongly attenuated. Conclusions: Low social support from supervisors predicts forthcoming work disability but the relationship is affected by self-reported nonoptimal health at baseline.