title: Prognostic factors for disability claim duration due to musculoskeletal symptoms among self-employed persons.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Employees and self-employed persons have, among others, different personal characteristics and different working conditions, which may influence the prognosis of sick leave and the duration of a disability claim. The purpose of the current study is to identify prognostic factors for the duration of a disability claim due to non-specific musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among self-employed persons in the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 276 self-employed persons, who all had a disability claim episode due to MSD with at least 75% work disability. The study was a cohort study with a follow-up period of 12 months. At baseline, participants filled in a questionnaire with possible individual, work-related and disease-related prognostic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The following prognostic factors significantly increased claim duration: age > 40 years (Hazard Ratio 0.54), no similar symptoms in the past (HR 0.46), having long-lasting symptoms of more than six months (HR 0.60), self-predicted return to work within more than one month or never (HR 0.24) and job dissatisfaction (HR 0.54).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prognostic factors we found indicate that for self-employed persons, the duration of a disability claim not only depends on the (history of) impairment of the insured, but also on age, self-predicted return to work and job satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research TNO, Hoofddorp, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Blatter
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.forename: E M M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: de Vroome
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Anema
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018868:Insurance, Disability; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009426:Netherlands; D018582:Sick Leave; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires