Effects of Work and Lifestyle on Risk for Future Disability Pension Due to Low Back Diagnoses

OBJECTIVE: To investigate work and lifestyle factors as predictors for disability pension (DP) due to low back diagnoses (LBDs) during a 30-year follow-up. METHODS: Baseline survey data were obtained in 1975 for 16,028 working-age twins followed with register data on DP, emigration, old-age pension, and death until end of 2004; analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: Among those at work at baseline, 470 DPs due to LBDs were granted during the follow-up. Monotonous work, lifting and carrying at work or physically heavy work, and unemployment at least once before baseline were significant predictors for DP. A healthy lifestyle was a protective factor for DP. Family background played a role in all these associations. CONCLUSION: The factors shared by family members seemed to influence both work and lifestyle factors, which then influenced the incidence of DP due to LBDs.