Marital disruption and long-term work disability

Abstract

Data from a community-based four-year prospective study were used to investigate the relationship between marital disruption and long-term work disability. In 1990, all inhabitants of the municipality Ullensaker, Norway, belonging to six cohorts (20-22 years, 30-32 years, 40-42 years, 50-52 years, 60-62 years and 70-72 years) were sent a questionnaire. Of the 1,359 respondents who were working, married or cohabiting, and not older than 62 years, 1,115 (82%) returned a second questionnaire four years later (1994). Separation or divorce between 1990 and 1994 was related to long-term work disability in 1994 (OR=3.02; 95% CI: 1.57-5.81), even after adjustments for age, sex, work characteristics, number of work hours per week, job satisfaction, body mass index, having pre-school children, smoking, physical leisure activity, emotional symptoms and musculoskeletal pain (all measured in 1990). Emotional problems evoked by the marital disruption may be part of the explanation.

Keywords

divorce separation sickness absence work disability.

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