TY - JOUR T1 - Regional differences in disability retirement: explaining between-county differences in Finland JO - Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health PY - 2013/11VL - 39 IS - 6 SP - 609 EP - 617 AU - Laaksonen, Mikko AU - Gould, Raija M3 - doi: 10.5271/sjweh.3373 UR - https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3373 KW - area KW - between-county difference KW - cardiovascular disease KW - disability KW - disability retirement KW - Finland KW - Finland KW - mental disorder KW - municipality characteristic KW - musculoskeletal disease KW - prospective cohort study KW - regional difference KW - work-related factor N2 - '

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OBJECTIVES ': 'This study aimed to examine between-county differences in disability retirement due to main diagnosis groups and explain these differences by individual-level demographic and work-related factors and municipality-level characteristics.

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METHODS ': 'A 20% random sample of the Finnish social insured population aged 25-62 years at the end of 2006 was followed for disability retirement until the end of 2011. Individual-level demographic and work-related covariates were derived from the registers of the Finnish Centre for Pensions and complemented by municipality-level covariates from the national SotkaNet databank. Standardized disability retirement rates were calculated and logistic regression analysis was used to examine between-county differences during the 5-year follow-up.

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RESULTS ': 'In the county with the highest incidence, disability retirement was nearly twice as common as in the county with the lowest incidence. The between-county differences were larger in disability retirement due to cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases than other causes. Adjusting for demographic and work-related characteristics explained a third of the differences. Further adjustment for municipal characteristics explained up to 60% of the differences. However, in regions of Northern and Eastern Finland with the highest incidence of disability retirement, 20–30% excess incidence remained even after all adjustments.

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CONCLUSIONS ': 'Large differences exist in disability retirement between Finnish counties. Disability retirement due to musculoskeletal diseases has the highest impact on the overall differences. Demographic structure and work-related characteristics but also municipality-level characteristics contribute to these differences.

SN - 0355-3140 ER -