Sickness absence as a predictor of disability retirement in different occupational classes

Office design as a risk factor for disability retirement: A prospective registry study of Norwegian employees

“…However, the association between office design and disability retirement was somewhat attenuated when adjusting for gender, medically certified sickness absence, and work ability, thus pointing to these variables as important confounders. The finding that high levels of sickness absence are associated with increased risk of disability retirement is in line with previous research ( 12 , 13 ).…”

“…In addition to the limitations in study designs, few studies have investigated potential confounding factors that can explain the associations between office designs and outcomes (8). For instance, as previous research has shown that levels of work ability and sickness absence are related both to office design (5,6) and subsequent disability retirement (11)(12)(13), work ability and sickness absence are likely to confound associations between office design and risk of disability retirement. Furthermore, office design encompasses a plethora of different layouts and principles.…”