Ethnic background does not influence outcome for return-to-work in work-related interdisciplinary rehabilitation for long-term pain: 1- and 3-year follow-up.
BACKGROUND
It is often suggested that immigrants with long-term pain do not benefit from rehabilitation to the same extent as native Swedish patients. In this study, an 8-week rehabilitation programme was evaluated according to its adaptation for immigrants.


OBJECTIVE
To establish whether there is a difference between immigrants and native Swedes concerning: (i) return-to-work, the patients' own estimation and their actual ability; (ii) higher level of activity; (iii) reduction in pain and analgesic use.


METHODS
A total of 67 patients with persistent non-malignant pain completed the rehabilitation programme. Thirty (45%) of the patients were immigrants.


METHODS
A 1- and a 3-year follow-up were made to compare the outcome between the 2 groups.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference in the return-to-work rate between immigrants and native Swedes. However, the patients' prediction of their ability to return to work was higher among the non-immigrants. The level of activity was lower and pain intensity and use of analgesics were higher among the immigrants than the non-immigrants.


CONCLUSIONS
Immigrants can benefit from a rehabilitation programme to the same extent as native Swedes concerning return-to-work rate, but seem to have limitations in assimilating the other objectives of the programme.
Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Rehabilitation, Medicine, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. norrefalk@hotmail.com
Jan-Rickard
JR
Norrefalk
Jan
J
Ekholm
Kristian
K
Borg
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011379:Prognosis; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000379:methods*; D018582:Sick Leave; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000208:ethnology; D016896:Treatment Outcome