Self-reported work ability in long-term breast cancer survivors. A population-based questionnaire study in Denmark

Figures & data

Figure 1. Flowchart showing inclusion of women in the study.

Table I. Descriptive characteristics of 170 breast cancer survivors and 391 cancer-free controls.

	Survivors N (%)	Controls N (%)	p*
Socioeconomic characteristics
Age (years)
35–44	11 (6)	48 (12)
45–54	72 (42)	191 (49)
55–64	87 (51)	152 (39	0.001
Mean (range)	54.2 (42–64)	52.4 (37–64)	0.0004
Highest attained educational level
Primary or high-school/vocational	143 (84)	339 (87)
Higher	27 (16)	52 (13)	0.35
Job type
Supervisor/academic/managerial	86 (51)	200 (51)
Skilled/unskilled/other	84 (49)	191 (49)	0.92
Income (Danish kr per year)
Low	63 (37)	98(25)
Medium	76 (44)	203 (52)
High	31 (19)	90 (23)	0.02
Mean	529 (775)	582 (181)	0.03
Health-related characteristics
Fatigue
Often	29 (17)	45 (11)
Seldom	141 (83)	346 (89)	0.08
Anxiety (HADS) (score)
≥ 7	60 (35)	122 (31)
< 7	110 (65)	269 (69)	0.38
Depression (HADS) (score)
≥ 7	15 (9)	22 (6)
< 7	155 (91)	369 (94)	0.17
Support at work
Help and support from colleagues
Seldom/sometimes	37 (22)	57 (15)
Often	133 (78)	334 (85)	0.04
Help and support from supervisor
Seldom/sometimes	49 (28)	71 (18)
Often	121 (72)	320 (82)	0.01
Listened to by colleagues
Seldom/sometimes	35 (20)	47 (12)
Often	135 (80)	344 (88)	0.01
Listened to by supervisor
Seldom/sometimes	8 (5)	21 (5)
Often	162 (95)	370 (95)	0.73
Valued by supervisor
Seldom/sometimes	33 (19)	57 (15)
Often	137 (81)	334 (85)	0.17
Promotion
No/not possible	91 (53)	134 (34)
Yes	79 (47)	257 (66)	<.00001
Work ability (score)
≥ 8	66 (39)	113 (29)
< 8	104 (61)	278 (71)	< 0.02
Mean	8.66 (0–10)	8.89 (0–10)	< 0.0001

HADS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

For discrete variables: χ²-test. For continuous variables: t-test.

Table II. Age-adjusted and mutually adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for impaired work ability among 170 breast cancer survivors and 391 cancer-free controls.

	Age-adjusted OR (95% CI)		Fully adjusted OR (95% CI)^1
	Survivors	Controls	Survivors	Controls
Socioeconomic characteristics
Highest attained educational level
Primary or high-school/vocational	2.24 (1.08–4.67)	1.38 (0.69–2.74)	1.17 (0.50–2.74)	0.92 (0.41–2.03)
Higher	1.08 (0.36–3.21)	1	0.59 (0.16–2.15)	1
Job type
Supervisor/academic/managerial	1.91 (1.09–3.35)	1	1.46 (0.76–2.81)	1
Skilled/unskilled/other	2.27 (1.31–3.93)	1.78 (1.14–2.78)	1.33 (0.68–2.61)	1.38 (0.81–2.36)
Income
Low	3.81 (1.86–7.78)	2.14 (1.11–4.14)	2.66 (1.17–6.07)	1.56 (0.73–3.33)
Medium	2.16 (1.08–4.31)	1.49 (0.83–2.48)	1.06 (0.47–2.39)	1.06 (0.54–2.10)
High	0.89 (0.32–2.48)	1	0.76 (0.25–2.34)	1
Health-related characteristics
Fatigue
Often	19.4 (6.56–57.4)	6.47 (3.32–12.7)	10.7 (3.31–34.3)	4.11 (1.97–8.57)
Seldom	1.26 (0.81–1.96)	1	1.05 (0.64–1.70)	1
Anxiety (HADS) (score)
≥ 7	5.53 (3.04–10.1)	4.40 (2.75–7.03)	2.42 (1.18–4.94)	2.76 (1.63–4.67)
< 7	1.74 (1.04–2.92)	1	1.38 (0.79–2.39)	1
Depression (HADS) (score)
≥ 7	18.2 (4.03–82.4)	13.1 (4.30–39.6)	3.64 (0.71–18.6)	4.41 (1.30–15.0)
< 7	1.47 (0.98–2.21)	1	1.18 (0.75–1.87)	1
Support at work
Help and support from colleagues
Seldom/sometimes	3.47 (1.73–6.97)	1.83 (1.03–3.28)	1.33 (0.50–3.50)	0.79 (0.33–1.89)
Often	1.36 (0.88–2.11)	1	1.08 (0.65–1.77)	1
Help and support from supervisor
Seldom/sometimes	3.91 (2.09–7.31)	1.81 (1.06–3.10)	2.40 (1.04–5.54)	1.11 (0.50–2.46)
Often	1.20 (0.76–1.91)	1	0.96 (0.57–1.62)	1
Listened to by colleagues
Seldom/sometimes	2.96 (1.45–6.05)	3.34 (1.79–6.22)	1.76 (0.68–4.54)	1.83 (0.74–4.56)
Often	1.58 (1.03–2.43)	1	1.22 (0.74–2.00)	1
Listened to by supervisor
Seldom/sometimes	1.44 (0.34–6.15)	1.27 (0.50–3.24)	0.53 (0.09–3.20)	0.34 (0.09–1.23)
Often	1.55 (1.05–2.30)	1	1.15 (0.73–1.83)	1
Valued by supervisor
Seldom/sometimes	2.65 (1.28–5.50)	2.59 (1.46–4.61)	0.93 (0.34–2.50)	1.26 (0.58–2.77)
Often	1.62 (1.06–2.49)	1	1.29 (0.79–2.12)	1
Promotion
No/Not possible	2.42 (1.46–4.02)	1.73 (1.10–2.71)	1.77 (0.99–3.17)	1.44 (0.85–2.43)
Yes	1.38 (0.79–2.40)	1	1.11 (0.59–2.10)	1

¹Model 3, adjusted for socioeconomic, health-related and workplace factors.

Bold, significant at the 5% level.

HADS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.