Social support as a predictor of disability pension: the Finnish Health 2000 study.
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.
Sinokki
Marjo
M
Turku Centre for Occupational Health, Turku, Finland. marjo.sinokki@utu.fi
Hinkka
Katariina
K
Ahola
Kirsi
K
Gould
Raija
R
Puukka
Pauli
P
Lönnqvist
Jouko
J
Virtanen
Marianna
M
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010415:Pensions; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012179:Retirement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012944:Social Support