Manual work as predictor for disability pensioning with osteoarthritis among the employed in Norway 1971-1990

Background Manual work is reported to be a risk factor for becoming a disab ility pensioner due to osteoarthritis. This association may be due to covar iation with other variables. We wanted to assess if manual work remained a risk factor after adjusting for number of hours worked, income, level of ed ucation, gender and marital status, and if the risk associated with manual work was equal in the 1970s and the 1980s. Methods In a prospective study, data on all new disability pensioners with osteoarthritis in Norway during the two follow-up periods, 1971-1980 and 19 81-1990, were analysed by logistic regression. The study include data on al l subjects living in Norway and registered as 50-56 years old and employed either in the census collected in 1970 or in the census of 1980. Results Manual workers have nearly twice the probability of becoming a disa bility pensioner with osteoarthritis compared to professionals after adjust ing for part-time work, income, level of education, marital status and gend er. Adjusted for other risk factors, the probability of becoming a disabili ty pensioner with osteoarthritis was three times higher in the 1980s compar ed to the 1970s. Conclusion The relatively strong association between manual work and disabi lity pensioning with osteoarthritis suggests difficulties in adjusting manu al work patterns for a person with osteoarthritis, which may have increased during the study period as implied by the separate effect of the 1980s.