title: Part-time work or social benefits as predictors for disability pension: a prospective study of Swedish twins.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To a large extent, it is unknown whether work absences other than sickness absence (SA) covered by social benefits such as parental leave, rehabilitation, or unemployment would predict disability pension (DP).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated whether part-time work or having received social benefits for sick leave, rehabilitation, or parental leave would be predictors for DP taking into account familial confounding (genetics and shared environment, e.g., social background) in these associations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 17,640 same-sex Swedish twin ndividuals [corrected] was followed from 2000 to 2008 via national registries for their receipt of social benefits and DP including additional baseline questionnaire data. Cox proportional hazard ratios were estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Full-time work was less common (47 %) among those being granted DP during the follow-up compared to those without DP (69 %). Self-reported full-time work, part-time work (≥50 %), and self-employment and registry data of caring for a child were the direct protective factors, whereas self-reported part-time work (<50 %) and long-term SA and registry data on SA, compensation for rehabilitation, and benefits during return to work were the direct risk factors for DP, i.e., independent of familial confounding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Part-time work and social benefits play different roles in predicting DP. Thus, full-time work, part-time work (≥50 %), self-employment, and benefits for parental leave seem to protect from DP. In contrast, SA and part-time work (<50 %) carry a highly increased risk for DP. Although these associations were mainly independent from several mediating factors, some of the associations seem to be influenced by family situation, social benefits, or severity of diseases.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland, annina.ropponen@ttl.fi.
authors.forename: Annina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ropponen
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alexanderson
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Svedberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002654:Child Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004651:Employment / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016524:Parental Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010415:Pensions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D062707:Return to Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors