Entering the labor market: increased employment rates of young adults with chronic physical conditions after a vocational rehabilitation program

Figures & data

Table 1. Background characteristics intervention cohort at baseline, post-intervention, and 2-years follow-up.

	Study sample at baseline (N = 90)^#	Study sample at post-intervention (N = 81)^#	Study sample at 2-years follow-up (N = 64)^#
Age pre-intervention, mean (SD)^^	24.5 (3.0)	24.9 (2.8)**	25.1 (2.7)**
Gender (male), n (%)	48 (53.3)	40 (49.4)*	32 (50.0)
Onseset chronic condition (congenital), n (%)	30 (33.3)	27 (33.3)	22 (34.4)
Severity of the physical limitation (yes), n (%)
No physical limitations	13 (14.4)	11 (13.6)	7 (10.9)
Slight physical limitations	41 (45.6)	38 (46.9)	32 (50.0)
Moderate physical limitations	18 (20.0)	14 (17.3)	10 (15.6)
Severe physical limitations	18 (20.0)	18 (22.2)	15 (23.4)
Educational level (yes), n (%)^^^
High	12 (13.5)	11 (13.8)	8 (12.5)
Middle	56 (62.9)	50 (62.5)	40 (62.5)
Low	21 (23.6)	19 (23.8)	16 (25.0)
Special secondary education (yes), n (%)^^^	32 (36.0)	29 (36.3)	25 (39.1)
Disability benefit recipient, n (%)^^^^	68 (75.6)	63 (81.8)	52 (85.2)*
Work status pre-intervention (yes), n (%)
Paid	9 (10.0)	9 (11.1)	8 (12.5)
Unpaid	27 (30.0)	24 (29.6)	20 (21.3)
Work experiences pre-intervention (yes), n (%)^^^^^
Paid	38 (77.6)	30 (75.0)	24 (88.9)*
Unpaid	34 (64.9)	27 (67.5)	20 (74.1)
Job search period pre-intervention (yes), n (%)^^^^^
Not yet	9 (18.4)	6 (15.0)	2 (11.1)
0–1 year	24 (49.0)	19 (47.5)	10 (37.0)
> 1 year	16 (32.7)	15 (37.5)	14 (51.9)*
Reported problems related to competitive employment, n (%)^^^^^^
Productivity
Paid or unpaid work	42 (77.8)
Education	5 (9.3)
Self-care
Personal care	17 (31.5)
Functional mobility	21 (38.9)
Housekeeping	27 (50.0)

^# Unless otherwise indicated.

^{^} n = 88, n = 80, n = 63.

^{^^} n = 89, n = 80, n = 64.

^{^^^} n = 86, n = 77, n = 61.

^{^^^^} n = 49, n = 40, n = 27.

^{^^^^^} n = 54.

^* p ≤ 0.05.

^** p ≤ 0.01.

Figure 1. Development of paid employment rates within the intervention cohort, and a comparison with national reference data. ^{^}Significant development over time within the intervention cohort. ^a,bSignificantly differs from baseline within the intervention cohort. *Significantly differs from national reference data.

Table 2. Employment rates within the intervention cohort, and a comparison with national reference data.

	Intervention cohort					National reference data
	Baseline	Post-intervention		2-years follow-up
	%	%	95% CI	%	95% CI	%	95% CI	Relative risk ratio^#	Relative risk ratio^##
Total
(t0: n = 90; t1: n = 81; t2 = 64)
Paid	10.0*	30.9^a	20.8–41.0	42.2^^^b	32.1–56.3	52.9	50.9–54.9	.19	.80
Unpaid	30.0	35.8		26.6
Unemployed	60.0	33.3^a		31.2^^^b
No physical limitation
(t0: n = 13; t1: n = 11; t2 = 7)
Paid	23.1*	36.4	8.0–64.8	42.9	6.2–79.6	56.0	53.6–58.4	.79	.79
Unpaid	38.5	9.1		14.3
Unemployed	38.5	55.5		42.9
Slight physical limitation
(t0: n = 41; t1: n = 38; t2 = 32 )
Paid	9.8*	36.8^a	21.5–52.1	46.9^^^b	29.6–64.2	50.6	46.4–54.8	.19	.93
Unpaid	24.4	44.7		34.4
Unemployed	65.9	18.4^a		12.7^^^b
Moderate physical limitation
(t0: n = 18; t1: n = 14; t2 = 10)
Paid	5.6*	21.4	0.0–42.9	30.0	1.6–58.4	40.9	32.1–49.8	.14	.74
Unpaid	27.8	21.4		30.0
Unemployed	66.7	57.1		40.0
Severe physical limitation
(t0: n = 18; t1: n = 18; t2 = 15)
Paid	5.6*	22.2	30.0–41.4	40.0^^^b	15.2–64.8	29.2	20.1–38.3	.19	1.40
Unpaid	38.9	44.4		13.3
Unemployed	55.6	33.3		46.7

^# Relative risk ratio intervention cohort at baseline versus national reference data.

^## Relative risk ratio intervention cohort at 2-years follow-up versus national reference data.

^{^} Significant development over time within the intervention cohort.

^a,b Significantly differs from baseline.

^* Significantly differs from national reference data.

Figure 2. (a) Development of paid employment rates of subgroup no physical limitations within the intervention cohort, and a comparison with national reference data. *Significantly differs from national reference data. (b) Development of paid employment rates of subgroup slight physical limitations within the intervention cohort, and a comparison with national reference data. ^{^}Significant development over time within the intervention cohort. ^a,bSignificantly differs from baseline within the intervention cohort. *Significantly differs from national reference data. (c) Development of paid employment rates of subgroup moderate physical limitations within the intervention cohort, and a comparison with national reference data. *Significantly differs from national reference data. (d) Development of paid employment rates of subgroup severe physical limitations within the intervention cohort, and a comparison with national reference data. ^{^}Significant development over time within the intervention cohort. ^bSignificantly differs from baseline within the intervention cohort. *significantly differs from national reference data.