Lifestyle and Work-Related Factors Associated with Work Ability and Work Participation for People with Obesity: A Prospective Observational Study After Vocational Rehabilitation

Figures & data

Figure 1 A schematic overview above in- and outpatient stays of the vocational rehabilitation program.

Table 1 Characteristics of the Participants at Baseline

	Follow-Up(N=68)		Lost to Follow-Up (N=27)^d		Not Included (N=95)^e
Outcome variables
DWP, median (SD^a, range^b)	47.23	(46.68, 0–100)	41.85	(48.68, 0–100)
WAS, mean (SD, range)	5.7	(2.7, 0–10)	5.4	(3, 0–10)
Explanatory variables
HRQoL, mean (SD, range)	64.4	(5.43, 53–75)	64	(5.9, 50–75)
Body mass index, kg/m^2, mean (SD^a, range^b)	38.8	(4.2, 29–48.5)	40.5	(5.5, 30.2–57.8)	38.5	(5.5, 27.3–57.3)
Weight, kg	121.1	(18.9, 74.9–170.4)	123.5	(20.5, 74.9–196)	116.3	(20.6, 68.1–165.2)
High, cm	176.4	(9.9, 521–200)	174.9	(10.8, 152–196)	173.2	(8.6154–197.5)
RTWSE, mean (SD, range) (n = 94)	124.2	(38.1, 29–183)	128.2	(40, 41–190)
RTWEXP, mean (SD, range)	2.43	(1.84, 1–6)	2.76	(1.74, 1–6)
Work absence days^c, 1 year before, median (25–75th percentile, range)	101.7	(106.03, 0–353)	110.9	(117.4, 0–364)
Background variables
Sociodemographic status, n (%)
Age, mean (SD, range)	47.6	(9.5, 23–63)	45.8	(11.5, 19–64)
Gender, n (%)
Males	36	(53)	15	(55.6)
Females	32	(47)	12	(44.4)
Sick leave diagnoses, n (%)
Musculoskeletal system	23	(35.9)	11	(40.7)
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases	17	(26.5)	12	(44.4)
All other reported diagnosis	24	(37.5)	4	(14.8)
Education level, n (%)
Collage/university education (>14 years)	31	(45.6)	8	(29.6)	31	(33)
High school (<13 years)	29	(42.6)	16	(59.3)	43	(45.7)
Elementary school (<10 years)	8	(11.8)	3	(11.1)	17	(18.1)

Notes: ^aStandard deviation: SD. ^bRange: Minimum and maximum value. ^cWork absence, measured as number of days 1 year before entering the rehabilitation program. ^dBaseline values for 27 missing participants at 12-month follow-up. ^eParticipants who declined to participate in the study.

Table 2 Comparison of WAS, DWP, HRQoL, BMI, and RTWSE from Baseline to 12-Month Follow-Up

	Measure	Mean Changes from Baseline to 12-Month Follow-Up	95% CI^a	p values
(n = 68)	WAS	1.51	0.83: 2.20	<0.001
(n = 95)	DWP	18.69	8.35: 29.02	0.001
(n = 68)	HRQoL	2.57	1.35: 3.79	<0.001
(n = 65)	BMI	−2.33	−3.10: −1.56	<0.001
(n = 62)	RTWSE	15.89	4.07: 27.71	0.009

Note: A paired sample t-test was conducted for each of the explanatory variables.

Abbreviation: ^aCI, confidence interval.

Table 3 Associations Between Changes in the 12-Month Follow-Up Period in HRQoL, BMI, and RTWSE with WAS in Combination with Work Absence and RTWEXP, Adjusted for the Background Variables. Unadjusted and Adjusted Multiple Regression Analyses

	Unadjusted Analysis		p values	Intermediate Analysis		p values	Final Analysis		p values
	B ^a	95% CI		B	95% CI		B	95% CI
Age	0.03	−0.03: 0.1	0.335
Gender
Male	0			0			0
Females	−0.64	−1.99: 0.61	0.311	−0.88	−1.88:0.11	0.081	−0.55	−1.56: 0.46	0.283
Sick leave diagnosis			0.067			0.090			0.214
MS ^b	0			0			0
EMD^c	1.82	0.29: 3.35	0.021	1.18	0.17:2.53	0.086	1.13	−0.14: 2.40	0.079
All other^d	0.66	−0.77:2.08	0.362	−0.22	−1.43:0.96	0.696	0.29	−1.83: 0.36	0.184
Educational level (years)			0.117			0.144			0.05
College/university (>14)	0.48	−0.82: 1.78	0.460	−1.00	−2.08:0.08	0.067	−0.73	−1.83: 0.36	0.184
High school (<13)	0			0			0
Elementary school (<10)	−1.74	−3.88: 0.39	0.108	−1.24	−3.14:0.67	0.198	−2.04	−3.71: −0.36	0.018
WAS^e	0.40	0.18: 0.62	0.001	0.55	0.27:0.83	<0.001	0.49	0.28: 0.71	<0.001
HRQoL^f	0.19	0.07: 0.31	0.003	0.31	0.17:0.44	<0.001	0.27	0.16: 0.38	<0.001
BMI^f	−0.03	−0.25: 0.18	0.749
RTWSE^f	0.01	0.00: 0.03	0.026	0.00	−0.01:0.01	0.737
RTWEXP^e	−0.38	−0.71: −0.05	0.025	0.20	−0.19:0.58	0.305
Work absence days^g	−0.01	−0.01: −0.00	0.004	0.00	−0.01:0.01	0.570

Notes: Univariate and intermediate analyses. p values less than 0.20 are marked with bold and further included in the intermediate analyses. Multiple regression analysis: Intermediate and final analyses are controlled for the effect of background variables and HRQoL baseline. ^aUnstandardized regression coefficient (B). ^bMusculoskeletal diagnosis. ^cEndocrine, metabolic, and nutritional diagnosis. ^dAll other reported diagnosis. ^eValue of baseline. ^fValue of change from baseline to 12 months. ^gWork absence, measured as the number of days 1 year before baseline. In the final analyses, statistically significant p values (≤ 0.05) marked in bold. R ² = 0.49 for final analysis.

Table 4 Associations Between Changes in the 12-Month Follow-Up Period in HRQoL, BMI, WAS, and RTWSE with DWP in Combination with DWP Baseline and RTWEXP, Adjusted for the Background Variables. Unadjusted and Adjusted Multiple Regression Analyses

	Unadjusted Analysis		p values	Intermediate Analysis		p values	Final Analysis		p values
	B ^a	95% CI		B	95% CI		B	95% CI
Age	0.24	−0.65: 1.13	0.589
Gender
Male	0			0			0
Females	−10.13	−27.9: 7.65	0.261	−3.05	−19.53:13.42	0.713	−3.21	−19.49:13.07	0.696
Sick leave diagnosis			0.065			0.171			0.131
MS^b	0			0			0
EMD^c	18.10	−2.38: 39.30	0.089	10.87	−9.98:31.72	0.303	11.20	−9.17:31.57	0.277
All other^d	−7.96	−29.10:13.19	0.457	−10.35	−29.65:8.95	0.289	−10.56	−29.59:8.48	0.273
Educational level (years)			0.705
Collage/university (>14)	7.89	−11.17:26.95	0.413
High school (<13)	0
Elementary school (<10)	5.89	−23.41:35.20	0.690
DWP^e	0.35	0.17: 0.52	<0.001	0.02	−0.21: 0.25	0.866
HRQoL^f	0.60	−1.52: 2.72	0.575
BMI^f	−1.30	−2.19: 4.79	0.460
WAS^f	0.67	−3.10: 4.43	0.725
RTWSE^f	0.10	−0.13: 0.33	0.382
RTWEXP^e	−11.45	−15.91: −6.99	<0.001	−10.32	−16.15: −4.49	0.001	−10.62	−15.25: −6.03	<0.001

Notes: Univariate and intermediate analyses. p values less than 0.20 are marked with bold and further included in the intermediate analyses. ^aUnstandardized regression coefficient (B). ^bMusculoskeletal diagnosis. ^cEndocrine, metabolic, and nutritional diagnosis. ^dAll other reported diagnoses. ^eValue of baseline. ^fValue of change from baseline to 12-month follow-up. Multiple regression analysis: Intermediate and final analyses are controlled for the effect of background variables and HRQoL baseline. In the final analyses, statistically significant p values (≤ 0.05) marked in bold. R ² = 0.27 for final analysis.