Do gastrointestinal complaints increase the risk for subsequent medically certified long-term sickness absence? The HUSK study

Table 2 Association of baseline characteristics with Long Term Sickness Absence (LTSA) over up to 6 years of follow up*

	No LTSA during follow up		One or more period of LTSA during follow up
	n	%	n	%	difference	Cohen's w**
Total sample	7422	53.5	6458	46.5
Age (mean/SD)***	43.1	1.54	43.2	1.55	t(-1.8), df = 13878, p = 0.08	-
Gender					χ² = 304.7, df = 1, p < 0.001	0.15
Males	4444	54.4	2250	39.4
Females	3722	45.6	3464	60.6
Highest education level					χ² = 265.2, df = 2, p < 0.001	0.14
Elementary school	1058	13.0	1168	20.6
Upper secondary school	3592	44.3	2775	49.0
Higher education	3465	42.7	1724	30.4
Physical illness	500	6.1	510	9.0	χ² = 39.3, df = 1, p < 0.001	0.05
BMI					χ² = 26.4, df = 2, p < 0.001	0.04
Normal (BMI < 25)	4194	51.4	2889	50.6
Overweight (BMI 25-30)	3182	39.0	2114	37.0
Obese (BMI >30)	787	9.6	704	12.3
Smoking	2460	30.1	2245	39.3	χ² = 126.0, df = 1, p < 0.001	0.10
Alcohol use					χ² = 17.3, df = 3, p = 0.54	-
Abstainer	578	7.2	449	8.1
Low consumption	2535	31.6	1896	34.1
Average consumption	2618	32.7	1669	30.0
High consumption	2281	27.5	1542	27.8
Physical activity					χ² = 32.2, df = 2, p < 0.001	0.05
No activity	1155	14.2	948	16.8
Moderate	3255	40.1	2367	41.9
High	3712	45.7	2329	41.3
Anxiety	1129	13.8	1152	20.2	χ² = 98.3, df = 1, p < 0.001	0.08
Depression	591	7.2	595	10.4	χ² = 43.4, df = 1, p < 0.001	0.06
Somatic symptoms	1019	12.5	1356	23.7	χ² = 300.1, df = 1, p < 0.001	0.15

* For dichotomous variables we present numbers and rates for the positive cases only
** Effect sizes calculated for significant univariate associations only
*** Continuous variable: presented with mean and standard deviations (SD) and test for differences with independent sample t-test.

ISSN: 1471-230X