Sickness absence in patients with arm, neck and shoulder complaints presenting in physical therapy practice: 6 months follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
To describe sickness absence in patients with arm, neck and/or shoulder complaints and to evaluate determinants of sickness absence during 6 months follow-up.


METHODS
A prospective cohort study in physical therapy practice with follow-up measurements at 3 and 6 months. The main outcome measure was the occurrence of sickness absence due to arm, neck and shoulder complaints during 6 months follow-up. Determinants were tested in univariate and multivariate GEE (Generalized Estimating Equations) analysis.


RESULTS
At baseline 161 patients (33%) reported absence from work. The multivariate analysis showed that self-reported work-relatedness of complaints, previous musculoskeletal trauma, higher severity of complaints at baseline, more somatization and low decision authority at work were associated with sickness absence during the follow-up period.


CONCLUSIONS
In physical therapy practice, social and psychological factors (at work) influence the occurrence of sickness absence in patients with arm, neck and/or shoulder complaints. These factors can be taken into account when developing and evaluating interventions to reduce sickness absence among these patients.
Karels
Celinde H
CH
Department of General Practice, Erasmus Medical Centre University, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. c.karels@erasmusmc.nl
Bierma-Zeinstra
Sita M
SM
Verhagen
Arianne P
AP
Koes
Bart W
BW
Burdorf
Alex
A
D001132:Arm; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D026761:Physical Therapy Specialty; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires