Predictors of positive health in disability pensioners: a population-based questionnaire study using Positive Odds Ratio

Table 5 Positive odds ratios (POR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for predictors of positive health. Results from logistic regression modelling of variables showing a bivariate correlation to positive/negative health.

Background variables ^a) (n = 190)	POR ^b)	CI
Age 55 years and above	2.33	1.03–5.28
Male gender^c)	1.33	0.66–2.69
Living alone	2.16	0.83–5.61
Not living with children	1.64	0.67–4.00
Not immigrant	5.51	1.90–15.95
Fibromyalgia^d) not ERP diagnosis	2.16	1.02–4.55
Health-related variables ^a) (n = 167)
Any physician visit last six months	1.38	0.52–3.62
Not in hospital last six months	2.38	0.40–14.21
Not regular use of sleeping medicine	1.07	0.33–3.52
Not regular use of analgesics	2.76	1.10–6.88
Low index of neurotic symptoms	1.55	0.65–3.69
Low index of psychosomatic symptoms	1.96	0.80–4.82
Low ADL index	3.10	1.37–7.03
Positive subjective health	6.63	2.61–16.84
Other variables ^a) (n = 147)
Positive present quality of life	4.71	1.64–13.59
Positive life-span quality of life	6.09	1.43–25.99
Better quality of life since retirement	1.19	0.45–3.13
Expected better future quality of life	2.55	0.52–12.54
Not content with economy	1.85	0.67–5.12
Content with dwelling	1.72	0.67–4.44
Content with leisure time	2.01	0.76–5.37
Not feeling lonesome	1.16	0.48–2.81
Difficulties in passing time	1.61	0.56–4.63
Positive self-image	1.47	0.56–3.86
Positive economic development since retirement	2.15	0.80–5.82

Variables not showing a bivariate relation to positive/negative health and therefore not included in the logistic regression model were: year of retirement, education, kind of work before retirement, work injury, working hours, satisfaction in previous job, dwelling, other diagnoses than back pain as DP diagnosis (see Methods for definition), other ailments than musculoskeletal disorders (cardiovascular, pulmonary, psychiatric, diabetes), medication (cardiovascular, pulmonary, psychiatric, diabetes), visit to caregivers (nurse, physiotherapist, alternative care), home-help service, transportation service, content with home and family, number of important social contacts, close social contacts, change in lonesomeness since retirement, early retirement best solution when retired, early retirement best solution today, weight, BMI (Body Mass Index), smoking habits, change in smoking habits, alcohol habits, and change in alcohol habits. a) Goodness-of-fit for the model were for background variables 66.3%, for health-related variables 77.3%, and for other variables 78.2%. b) Figures in bold when p < 0.05; c) The only variable included in the model not showing a bivariate correlation to positive/negative health; d) Fibromyalgia and other general pain disorders (non-inflammatory conditions), for definition see Material and Methods.

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