title: Factors associated with duration of disability benefits: a cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze factors associated with the duration of disability benefits due to work-related upper-limb musculoskeletal disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ambispective cohort study conducted with 563 insured workers from the General Social Security System who received temporary disability benefits due to work-related upper-limb musculoskeletal disorders in the city of Salvador, Northeastern Brazil, in 2008. The data came from an inquiry performed by the Regional Audit of the National Social Security Institute and from administrative records. Sociodemographic and work-related variables were analyzed, as well as characteristics of the health problem and aspects related to social security. Factors associated with time until the cessation of the benefit were identified through survival analysis techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low socioeconomic position (RR=1.29; 95% CI 1.02; 1.64), age below 39 years (RR=1.23; 95% CI 1.03; 1.47), income replacement by the National Social Security Institute < 100% (RR=1.24; 95% CI 1.04; 1.47) and high expectation of returning to work (RR=1.20; 95% CI 1.00; 1.44) are the categories related to higher rate of cessation of the benefit and with its shorter duration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Factors that are not strictly medical, like socioeconomic position, age, expectation of returning to work and level of income replacement by the National Social Security Institute, seem to influence the benefit's duration. These hypotheses need to be tested with further confirmatory studies in order to improve the understanding of the process of determining incapacity for work.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brasil. nsouto@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Norma Suely Souto
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Vilma Sousa
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Santana
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018868:Insurance, Disability / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012943:Social Security / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult