Workplace Factors Associated With Return to Work After Mild-to-Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury

Silje Christine Reistad Fure; Emilie Isager Howe; Nada Andelic; Cathrine Brunborg; Alexander Olsen; Per-Ola Rike; Øystein Spjelkavik; Heidi Enehaug; Cecilie Røe; Marianne Løvstad

doi:10.1097/HTR.0000000000000772

Workplace Factors Associated With Return to Work After Mild-to-Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury

J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2023 Jan-Feb;38(1):E1-E9. doi: 10.1097/HTR.0000000000000772. Epub 2022 Mar 15.

Authors

Silje Christine Reistad Fure¹, Emilie Isager Howe, Nada Andelic, Cathrine Brunborg, Alexander Olsen, Per-Ola Rike, Øystein Spjelkavik, Heidi Enehaug, Cecilie Røe, Marianne Løvstad

Affiliation

¹ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Drs Fure, Howe, Andelic, and Røe), and Oslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Research Support Services (Ms Brunborg), Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Research Centre for Habilitation and Rehabilitation Models and Services (CHARM), Institute of Health and Society (Drs Fure, Andelic, and Røe), Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine (Drs Howe and Røe), and Department of Psychology (Dr Løvstad), University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Technology and Science, Trondheim, Norway (Dr Olsen); Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway (Dr Olsen); Department of Research, Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital Trust, Nesoddtangen, Norway (Drs Rike and Løvstad); Work Research Institute, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway (Mr Spjelkavik and Dr Enehaug).

PMID: 35293367
DOI: 10.1097/HTR.0000000000000772

Abstract

Objective: Sociodemographic and injury-related predictors for return to work (RTW) after mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been extensively explored. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding work-related predictors of RTW. The main aim of this study was to explore work-related predictors of work participation 6 and 12 months after mild-to-moderate TBI.

Setting: Data were collected at baseline 8 to 12 weeks after injury, and 3, 6, and 12 months after baseline, at a specialized TBI rehabilitation outpatient clinic at Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

Participants: Eligible patients had suffered a mild-to-moderate TBI 8 to 12 weeks previously, were employed 50% or more at time of injury, were between 18 and 60 years of age, and sick listed 50% or more at time of inclusion due to symptoms of TBI (based on the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire). In total, 116 patients were included in a randomized controlled trial, of whom 113 were included in the 1-year analysis.

Design: Patients were originally included in a randomized controlled trial. There were no between-group differences in RTW after 1 year. Thus, the participants were evaluated as one cohort in this study.

Main measures: The primary outcome measure was work participation 1 year after study inclusion. Work-related predictors were chosen on the basis of previous research and expert opinion and entered into a multivariable linear regression model. The model controlled for sociodemographic and injury-related factors.

Results: The best-fitting model explained 25% of variation in work participation at 1 year. Significant predictors were predictability, quantitative demands and rewards (recognition) at the workplace, private or public employment, symptom burden at baseline, and sex.

Conclusion: In this study, several work-related predictors outperformed some of the established sociodemographic and injury-related predictors of RTW after TBI, thus stressing the need for further focus and research on amendable predictors of RTW after mild-to-moderate TBI.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Brain Injuries, Traumatic* / rehabilitation
Humans
Norway
Return to Work*
Workplace