Backround This study examined whether asthma alone or together with chronic co-morbidity is associated with increased risk of long-term work disability. Methods We examined data from 2,332 asthmatic and 66,354 non-asthmatic public sector employees in Finland who responded to a survey between 1997 and 2004. Respondents were coded as persistent asthmatics based on the special reimbursement for continuous asthma medication by the Social Insurance Institution. Data on long-term work disability (sickness absences or disability pensions >90 days) were obtained from national registers. The risk of work disability was examined by Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for age, gender, socioeconomic status, type of employment contract and type of employer. Results Asthma increased the risk of all-cause long-term work disability, hazard ratio (HR) 1.8 (95 % CI 1.62–2.09) compared to controls (no asthma). Asthma and one other chronic co-morbidity increased the risk for long-term all-cause work disability with HR 2.2 (95% CI 1.78–2.83). Asthma together with two or more other chronic conditions increased the risk with HR 4.5 (95% CI 2.98–6.78). Asthma and depression increased the risk with HR 3.6 and the risk was especially high for permanent work-disability (HR 6.8). Among those with asthma there were more women, obesity (BMI ≥30), ex-smokers and lower-grade non-manual workers. Conclusions Asthma is associated with increased risk of long-term all-cause work disability. The risk increases further with chronic co-morbidities, and is especially high in patients with asthma and depression.

The aim of the study is to examine the risk of sickness absence in public sector employees with allergic rhinitis or asthma or both conditions combined. This is a prospective cohort study of 48,296 Finnish public sector employees. Data from self-reported rhinitis and asthma were obtained from survey responses given during either the 2000-2002 or 2004 periods. Follow-up data on sickness absences for the public sector employees surveyed were acquired from records kept by the employers. During the follow-up, mean sick leave days per year for respondents were 17.6 days for rhinitis alone, 23.8 days for asthma alone and 24.2 days for both conditions combined. Respondents with neither condition were absent for a mean of 14.5 days annually. The impact of asthma and rhinitis combined on the risk of sick leave days was marginal compared to asthma alone (RR 1.1; 95% CI 1.0-1.3). In the subgroup analysis (those with current asthma or allergy medication), the risk ratio for medically certified sickness absence (>3 days) was 2.0 (95% CI 1.9-2.2) for those with asthma and rhinitis combined. Rhinitis, asthma and both these conditions combined increased the risk of days off work.

Background: The focus in occupational health checkups is in work and health, but they offer also a possibility to assess health behavior and give guidance e.g. on weight control. We wanted to study whether having occupational health checks-up, receiving physicians' advice to change health behavior or participation in health promotion programs had an effect on obesity in a five-year follow-up from 1998 to 2003 in asthmatic and non-asthmatic workers. Methods: Altogether 23,220 individuals aged 20-54 years were picked up from a randomized Finnish population sample. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the risk for obesity in 2003. The variables used in the modelling were gender, age, smoking, asthma, depression, and physical workload. Results: Both asthmatic and non-asthmatic workers gained weight during the follow-up. Of the asthmatics 48 and 47% of the non-asthmatics had occupational health-checkup in the last 5 years. Of the asthmatics 18 and 14% of the non-asthmatics had received physician's advice to change their health behavior (p < 0.001). Associated factors for obesity (BMI > 30) in 2003 were gender (men OR 1.19), older age (OR 1.25), smoking (OR 1.07) or depression (OR 1.44). Conclusions: Results show that having occupational health checks-up or receiving physicians' advice to change health behavior or participation in health promotion programs did not stop gain of weight during a five-year follow-up. Asthmatic workers did not differ from non-asthmatics. Male gender, older age, smoking, and depression were associated with obesity but not the physical workload.