The return-to-work process of individuals sick-listed because of whiplash-associated disorder: a three-year follow-up study in a Danish cohort of long-term sickness absentees.

BACKGROUND: The chronic course of whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) has implications for both the individual and society. It has been shown that up to 50% of patients have not yet returned to work six months after a whiplash injury. We wanted to study the return-to-work (RTW) process in individuals sick-listed for more than eight weeks in six Danish municipalities. RTW in individuals sick-listed due to WAD was compared to that in those sick-listed for other musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). METHODS: Information about long-term sick-listed individuals in six Danish municipalities was retrieved from an existing database. Data on public transfer income were collected and the RTW process was followed on a weekly basis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of RTW was done four times during the first three years after the start of sick-listing. RESULTS: One hundred and four individuals were sick-listed due to WAD and 3,204 individuals were sick-listed due to other MSDs. After 6 months, the RTW was significantly lower in the WAD group. OR for RTW in the WAD group was 0.29 (0.18-0.49) compared to the MSD group. The RTW process for both groups stabilised after two years of follow-up; 44% returned to work in the WAD group as compared to 58% in the MSD group. CONCLUSION: Sick-listed individuals with whiplash-associated disorder are less likely to return to work than individuals who are sick-listed because of other musculoskeletal disorders. In both groups, RTW stabilised after two years of follow-up.

Determinants of return to work after long-term sickness absence in six Danish municipalities.

BACKGROUND: Different follow-up times and methods in return to work (RTW) research make it difficult to compare results between studies, and not all intervention effects and determinants may be constant over time. AIMS: This study aimed to describe the RTW process of a population of long-term sickness-absent workers over a 3-year period in terms of the effect of selected determinants over time. METHODS: A total of 7780 sickness-absent persons were registered by social workers in six different municipalities and were followed up for 2 to 3 years. Estimates from multiple logistic regression analyses conducted for every 4 weeks were plotted against time to identify changes in the effects of selected determinants. RESULTS: After 1.5 years, 55.2% of the population had returned to work and this level was maintained through the remaining follow-up period. All the included potential determinants were found to be significantly related to RTW at 1 and 3 years. The effects of sex, ethnicity, and income were found to be nearly constant over time. The effects of municipality, diagnosis, and age changed markedly over time and mostly during the first year. CONCLUSIONS: RTW increased during the first 1.5 years after which a steady level was maintained. The effect of diagnosis, age, and municipality changed markedly over time.

[Does the modern office environment desiccate the eyes?]. / Udtørrer det moderne kontormiljø øjnene?

Eye irritation is a common complaint in the modern office environment. The causes are still unknown. It appears that high preocular relative humidity protects the precorneal tear film against desiccation and airborne chemicals and reduces the development of eye irritation by airborne sensory irritants. This is particularly relevant for intensive computer work, where the precorneal tear film is altered, resulting in dryness of the eye. The reduction of the blink frequency during computer work promotes desiccation of the precorneal tear film; the frequency is moderately correlated with both the tear film thickness and the aqueous loss. For this reason, it is important to plan the workplace and work schedule in such a way to maintain a normal eye blink frequency to minimise alterations of the precorneal tear film.