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

BACKGROUND: Determinants of ill-health have been studied far more than determinants of good and improving health. Health promotion measures are important even among individuals with chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to find predictors of positive subjective health among disability pensioners (DPs) with musculoskeletal disorders. METHODS: Two questionnaire surveys were performed among 352 DPs with musculoskeletal disorders. Two groups were defined: DPs with positive health and negative health, respectively. In consequence with the health perspective in this study the conception Positive Odds Ratio was defined and used in the logistic regression analyses instead of the commonly used odds ratio. RESULTS: Positive health was associated with age ≥ 55 years, not being an immigrant, not having fibromyalgia as the main diagnosis for granting an early retirement, no regular use of analgesics, a high ADL capacity, a positive subjective health preceding the study period, and good quality of life. CONCLUSION: Positive odds ratio is a concept well adapted to theories of health promotion. It can be used in relation to positive outcomes instead of risks. Suggested health promotion and secondary prevention efforts among individuals with musculoskeletal disorders are 1) to avoid a disability pension for individuals <55 years of age; if necessary, to make sure rehabilitation actions continue, 2) to increase efforts to support immigrants to adjust to circumstances connected to ill-health and retirement, 3) to pay special attention to individuals with fibromyalgia and other general pain disorders, and 4) to strengthen ADL activities to support an independent active life among disability pensioners

Psychological adjustment to chronic illness:The role of prototype evaluation in acceptance of illness

Acceptance of chronic illness refers to psychological adjustment to the chronic illness. We propose that patients' prototype evaluations provide patients with information to evaluate themselves and to accept their illness. In cross-sectional Study 1 (n = 149), diabetic patients' prototype evaluations predicted self-evaluations and acceptance, explaining about 10% and 20%, respectively. Study 2 was a field experiment (n = 255) among diabetic patients designed to test whether prototype evaluations are causally related to acceptance, and whether this relation is moderated by individual differences. The results showed that the effects of positive prototype information on acceptance depended on the individual's prototype evaluation at pretest and on the individual's social comparison orientation. These results support the idea that prototype perceptions play a role in the psychological adjustment to a chronic illness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved