Long-term life satisfaction in ageing women with work disability due to mental and musculoskeletal disorders

J Heikkinen; R J Honkanen; S E Quirk; L J Williams; H Koivumaa-Honkanen

doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2023.107849

Long-term life satisfaction in ageing women with work disability due to mental and musculoskeletal disorders

Maturitas. 2023 Dec:178:107849. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2023.107849. Epub 2023 Sep 17.

Authors

J Heikkinen¹, R J Honkanen², S E Quirk³, L J Williams⁴, H Koivumaa-Honkanen²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Clinical Medicine (Psychiatry), University of Eastern Finland, Finland; Kuopio Musculoskeletal Research Unit (KMRU), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Finland. Electronic address: jeremih@uef.fi.
² Institute of Clinical Medicine (Psychiatry), University of Eastern Finland, Finland; Kuopio Musculoskeletal Research Unit (KMRU), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Finland.
³ Kuopio Musculoskeletal Research Unit (KMRU), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Finland; Deakin University, Institute for Physical and Mental Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia.
⁴ Deakin University, Institute for Physical and Mental Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia.

PMID: 37774595
DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2023.107849

Abstract

Background: Mental disorders (MDs) and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the major causes of global disability and increase in prevalence with age.

Aims: To support healthy ageing, we studied how work disability due to MDs or MSDs is related to life satisfaction (LS) cross-sectionally and in 5- and 10-year follow-ups among ageing women.

Methods: In the population-based OSTPRE cohort (women aged 58-67 in 1999), data on lifetime permanent work disability pensions (DPs) due to 'MDs only' (n = 337), 'MSDs only' (n = 942) and 'MDs + MSDs' (n = 212) and 'no DP' (n = 6322) until 1999 was obtained from the Finnish national register. The OSTPRE postal enquiry included a four-item life satisfaction (LS) scale (range 4-20: satisfied 4-6, intermediate 7-11, dissatisfied 12-20) at 5-year intervals, in 1999-2004 (n = 6548) and in 1999-2009 (n = 5562).

Results: In 1999, the risks of belonging to the dissatisfied LS group (score 12-20) vs. the satisfied group (score 4-6) were higher in 'MDs only' (OR = 4.30; 95%CI 2.95-6.28), 'MSDs only' (OR = 2.69; 2.12-3.40) and 'MDs + MSDs' (OR = 2.72; 1.77-4.16) groups than in the 'no DP' group. In the follow-ups, these risks were OR_5yr = 5.59 (3.54-8.84) and OR_10yr = 4.94 (2.80-8.73) for 'MDs only', OR_5yr = 3.36 (2.58-4.37) and OR_10yr = 3.18 (2.40-4.21) for 'MSDs only', and OR_5yr = 4.70 (2.75-8.05) and OR_10yr = 6.84 (3.53-13.27) for 'MDs + MSDs' (all: p ≤ 0.001). Adjusting for baseline LS did not change the pattern (all p ≤ 0.001).

Conclusion: Work disability due to MDs and MSDs undermines healthy ageing among women via life dissatisfaction.

Keywords: Ageing; Disability, mental disorders; Life satisfaction; Musculoskeletal disorders.

MeSH terms

Female
Finland / epidemiology
Humans
Mental Disorders*
Musculoskeletal Diseases* / epidemiology
Occupational Diseases* / epidemiology
Personal Satisfaction
Risk Factors
Surveys and Questionnaires