Kristina Alexanderson
Biographic Data
| ID | 5413297 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Kristina Alexanderson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Kristina |
| FAMILY NAME | Alexanderson |
| SIGNATURE | ALEXANDERSON K |
| AFFILIATIONS | Karolinska Institutet |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9313-3413 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 49 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 38 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 49 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1994 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Time until exit from paid work after ages 65–69 and ≥ 70, respectively
Neither mental nor somatic SADP was strongly associated with time until work exit
Sickness absence among privately employed white-collar workers during the Covid-19 pandemic; a prospective cohort study
A small proportion of privately-employed white-collar workers had incident SA spells > 14 days due to COVID-19 or COVID-like diagnoses. The factors associated with SA due to COVID-19 were similar to factors associated with SA due to other diagnoses in previous studies
Sickness absence after work accidents and post-traumatic stress among white-collar workers in the retail and wholesale industry; a longitudinal Swedish cohort study
About a quarter of those who had secondary healthcare due to work accidents, and the majority of those with such healthcare due PTSD, had new SA in the following year. SA due to injury and mental diagnoses, respectively, increased most, however, SA/DP due to other diagnoses also increased slightly. More knowledge is needed on factors associated with having or not having SA/DP in different diagnoses after work accidents and among people with PTSD
Health and morbidity among people in paid work after 64 years of age
Clustering of social disadvantage with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder in young adults
The clustering of social disadvantage with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in young adulthood is not well understood. We examined the clustering of ADHD with low educational attainment and unemployment in young adulthood; whether such clustering is stronger when unemployment is prolonged; and whether further clustering of disability pensioning, low education and unemployment occurs among those with ADHD. Data were obtained from Sw…
Trajectories of sickness absence and disability pension days among 189,321 white-collar workers in the trade and retail industry; a 7-year longitudinal Swedish cohort study
Most white-collar belonged to trajectories with no or low SA/DP. Level of job control was more strongly associated with trajectory memberships than level of job demands
Work Participation among Women and Men in Sweden
Observational research studies from various countries suggest that women's working patterns across the life course are often fragmented compared to men's. The aim of our investigation was to use nationwide register data from Sweden to examine the extent to which generation and time of entry to the work force explain the sex differences in work participation across the life course. Our analyses were based on individual-level data on 4,182,581 wome…
Associations of sickness absence and disability pension due to mental and somatic diagnoses when aged 60–64 with paid work after the standard retirement age; a prospective population-based cohort stud…
SA and DP were negatively associated with being in paid work after the standard retirement age of 65. The association was especially strong for DP, irrespective of diagnosis group. Moreover, compared to somatic diagnoses, SA due to mental diagnoses had a stronger association with not being in paid work. More knowledge is needed on how mental SA impedes extending working life
Sickness absence and disability pension among women with breast cancer
SA among women with BC was elevated mainly in the first year after diagnosis. New SA following BC diagnosis can accurately be predicted
Sickness absence and disability pension among injured working-aged pedestrians - a population-based Swedish register study
In this explorative nationwide study of the working-aged pedestrians injured in traffic-related accidents including falls, one fifth started a new SA spell >14 days. Fractures, internal injuries, collisions with motor vehicle, and falls related to snow and ice had the strongest associations with new SA
Unemployment Trajectories and the Early Risk of Disability Pension among Young People with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder
Depression and anxiety are associated with unemployment and disability pension, while autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is less studied. We aimed to first identify unemployment trajectories among young adults with and without ASD, and then to examine their social determinants. Finally, we used the trajectories as determinants for subsequent disability pension. We used a population-based cohort, including 814 people who were 19-35 years old, not on d…
Sickness absence and disability pension in relation to first childbirth and in nulliparous women according to occupational groups
We found that women's mean SA/DP days before and after first childbirth was higher with decreasing skill-level of the occupational group and these differences were most pronounced in the year before childbirth. DP was most common among women not giving birth, regardless of occupational group
Labor market exit around retirement age in Sweden and trajectories of psychotropic drugs in a context of downsizing
Downsizing or workplace closure, although weakly, was associated with higher prevalence of psychotropic drugs certain years around the labor market exit. The results support the idea that involuntary labor market exit in mature adulthood may negatively affect the development of mental health
Sequence analysis of sickness absence and disability pension in the year before and the three years following a bicycle crash; a nationwide longitudinal cohort study of 6353 injured individuals
Sequence analysis enabled exploration of the large heterogeneity of SA and DP following a bicycle crash. More knowledge is needed on how to prevent bicycle crashes and especially those crashes/injuries leading to long-term consequences
Experiences of positive encounters with healthcare professionals among women on long-term sickness absence due to breast cancer or due to other diagnoses
Most of the women had experienced positive encounters and about half stated that positive encounters promoted their ability to RTW, although a slightly smaller proportion of the women with BC stated that. This study emphasizes that not only medical treatment but also encounters may influence the ability to RTW, something that is of clinical importance
Bicycle crashes and sickness absence - a population-based Swedish register study of all individuals of working ages
In this explorative nationwide study of new bicycle crashes among individuals of working ages, 18% had a new SA spell in connection to the crash while 10% were already on SA or DP. The ORs for new SA were higher among women, older individuals, and among individuals with a fracture
Risk of disability pension in first and second generation immigrants
Compared to natives, the risk of DP was higher in first and second generation immigrants. Higher estimates were seen for immigrants from Europe outside EU25 and from the rest of the world in the first generation. No considerable differences in estimates regarding mental or somatic DP diagnoses were found
Life satisfaction of women of working age shortly after breast cancer surgery
One month after breast cancer surgery, satisfaction with different life domains was associated primarily with social support and health-related functioning. However, this soon after surgery, treatment-related variables showed no significant associations with life satisfaction. These results are useful for planning interventions to enhance e.g. social support and emotional as well as cognitive functioning
Transitions Between Compensated Work Disability, Joblessness, and Self-Sufficiency
Associations between unemployment, work, and disability have been researched in many studies. The findings are often based on cross-sectional data and single outcomes. The present study analysed multiple outcomes over a period of 15 years among long-term unemployed individuals. Based on all individuals aged 20-40 living in Sweden in 1995, prospective cohort analyses were conducted. Individual annual labour market proximity 1995-2010 was estimated…
Suicide among first-generation and second-generation immigrants in Sweden
BACKGROUND: Previous research suggests that first-generation immigrants have a lower suicide risk than those both born in Sweden and with both parents born in Sweden (natives), while the suicide risk in the second generation seems higher. The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent suicide risk in first-generation and second-generation (both parents born abroad) and intermediate-generation (only one parent born abroad) immigrants comp…
Sickness absence and the time-varying excess risk of premature death
Right after start of a sick-leave spell exceeding 30 days, sickness absentees were at higher risk of premature death than the total population. The difference in risk, however, decreased over time and vanished completely after 6 years of follow-up
Work Disability Before and After Diabetes Diagnosis
Objectives. We evaluated the risk of work disability (sick leave and disability pension) before and after diabetes diagnosis relative to individuals without diabetes during the same time period, as well as the trajectory of work disability around the diagnosis. Methods. This Swedish population-based cohort study with register data included 14 428 individuals with incident diabetes in 2006 and 39 702 individuals without diabetes during 2003 to 200…
Associations between number of sick-leave days and future all-cause and cause-specific mortality
Even a low number of sick-leave days was associated with a higher risk for premature death in the following 11 years, also when adjusting for morbidity. This was the case for both women and men and also for cause-specific mortality. More knowledge is warranted on the mechanisms leading to higher mortality risks among sickness absentees, as sickness certification is a common measure in health care, and most sick leave is due to diagnoses you do no…
Diagnosis-specific disability pension and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality – a cohort study of 4.9 million inhabitants in Sweden
All DP diagnoses were associated with a higher mortality risk. Even individuals granted DP due to diagnoses with low mortality risk displayed a higher risk for premature death. This warrants close monitoring of disability pensioners and further studies on consequences of being on disability pension
Sickness absence and disability pension due to otoaudiological diagnoses
This large nationwide population-based cohort study suggests an increased risk of mortality among individuals on disability pension due to otoaudiological diagnoses
Diagnosis-specific sickness absence and all-cause mortality in the Gazel study
BACKGROUND: This study aims to examine diagnosis-specific sickness absence as a risk marker for all-cause mortality. METHODS: Prospective occupational cohort (the GAZEL study). Medically certified sickness absence spells >7 days for 15 diagnostic categories, 1990-1992, were examined in relation to all-cause mortality, January 1993-February 2007. The reference group for each diagnostic category was participants with no spell >7 days for that diagn…
Exposure to parental mortality and markers of morbidity, and the risks of attempted and completed suicide in offspring
BACKGROUND: There is evidence of parental risk factors for suicidal behaviour in offspring, but research on variations in their effects with offspring's age at first exposure is sparse. AIMS: To explore the effects of age at exposure to parental mortality and markers of morbidity on the risks of suicide and attempted suicide in offspring. METHODS: This was a case-control study effected through record linkage between Swedish registers. Individuals…
Illness, disease, and sickness absence
Objectives: In studies of public health and morbidity different concepts of ill health are often seen as interchangeable alternatives. With the help of extensive population information this research intends to show how different concepts and measurements produce very different pictures of health and ill health. The concept trilogy of “illness,” “disease,” and “sickness” is used to capture different aspects of ill health. Design: Cross sectional d…
Diagnosis-specific sick leave as a risk marker for disability pension in a Swedish population
OBJECTIVE: To investigate diagnosis-specific sick leave as a risk marker for subsequent disability pension. DESIGN: A prospective population based cohort study. Exposure to a new medically certified sick leave episode of more than seven days by diagnosis during 1985 was examined in relation to incident cause-specific disability pension through 1996. PARTICIPANTS: The total non-retired population of one Swedish county aged 16 to 49 years, alive an…
Work Disability Before and After Diabetes Diagnosis
Objectives. We evaluated the risk of work disability (sick leave and disability pension) before and after diabetes diagnosis relative to individuals without diabetes during the same time period, as well as the trajectory of work disability around the diagnosis. Methods. This Swedish population-based cohort study with register data included 14 428 individuals with incident diabetes in 2006 and 39 702 individuals without diabetes during 2003 to 200…
Suicide among first-generation and second-generation immigrants in Sweden
BACKGROUND: Previous research suggests that first-generation immigrants have a lower suicide risk than those both born in Sweden and with both parents born in Sweden (natives), while the suicide risk in the second generation seems higher. The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent suicide risk in first-generation and second-generation (both parents born abroad) and intermediate-generation (only one parent born abroad) immigrants comp…
Negative encounters with social insurance officers – experiences of women and men on long‐term sick leave
Upmark M, Hagberg J, Alexanderson K. Negative encounters with social insurance officers – experiences of women and men on long‐term sick leave Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 309–317 © 2009 Karolinska Institutet. International Journal of Social Welfare © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Limited and the International Journal of Social Welfare This study aimed to gain knowledge about long‐term sickness absentees' experiences of negative encounters with social…
Diagnosis-specific sick leave as a long-term predictor of disability pension
BACKGROUND: Factors that increase the risk of labour market exclusion are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the extent to which all-cause and diagnosis-specific sick leave predict subsequent disability pension (DP). METHODS: Prospective cohort study of 20 434 persons employed by the French national gas and electric company (the GAZEL study). New sick-leave spells >7 days in 1990-1992 were obtained from company records. Follow-up for D…
All-cause and diagnosis-specific sickness absence as a predictor of sustained suboptimal health
UNLABELLED: background: Previous studies show that sickness absence predicts health, but it is unclear whether this association is persistent over time and whether specific diseases underlie long-term associations. The aim of this study was to investigate overall and diagnosis-specific sickness absences as predictors of sustained suboptimal health. METHODS: Prospective occupational cohort study of 15 320 employees (73% men) aged 37-51. Sickness a…
Pregnancy related sickness absence in a Swedish county, 1985-87
Sickness absence during pregnancy has increased in Sweden as well as in other countries. STUDY OBJECTIVE--The study aimed to describe pregnancy related sickness absence and its increase from 1985-87; to consider if the increase were parallel to an increase in sickness absence for all diagnoses or could be explained by a higher birth rate; and to compare different ways of presenting sickness absence data. DESIGN--The data from a prospective incide…
Gatekeepers in sickness insurance
Illness, disease, and sickness absence
Objectives: In studies of public health and morbidity different concepts of ill health are often seen as interchangeable alternatives. With the help of extensive population information this research intends to show how different concepts and measurements produce very different pictures of health and ill health. The concept trilogy of “illness,” “disease,” and “sickness” is used to capture different aspects of ill health. Design: Cross sectional d…
Dealing with sickness certification – a survey of problems and strategies among general practitioners and orthopaedic surgeons
Most GPs and OSs handled sickness certification weekly and reported a variety of problems in relation to this task, generally GPs to a higher extent, and they used different coping strategies to handle the problems
Diagnosis-specific sick leave as a risk marker for disability pension in a Swedish population
OBJECTIVE: To investigate diagnosis-specific sick leave as a risk marker for subsequent disability pension. DESIGN: A prospective population based cohort study. Exposure to a new medically certified sick leave episode of more than seven days by diagnosis during 1985 was examined in relation to incident cause-specific disability pension through 1996. PARTICIPANTS: The total non-retired population of one Swedish county aged 16 to 49 years, alive an…
Negative encounters with social insurance officers – experiences of women and men on long‐term sick leave
Upmark M, Hagberg J, Alexanderson K. Negative encounters with social insurance officers – experiences of women and men on long‐term sick leave Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 309–317 © 2009 Karolinska Institutet. International Journal of Social Welfare © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Limited and the International Journal of Social Welfare This study aimed to gain knowledge about long‐term sickness absentees' experiences of negative encounters with social…
Diagnosis-specific sickness absence and all-cause mortality in the Gazel study
BACKGROUND: This study aims to examine diagnosis-specific sickness absence as a risk marker for all-cause mortality. METHODS: Prospective occupational cohort (the GAZEL study). Medically certified sickness absence spells >7 days for 15 diagnostic categories, 1990-1992, were examined in relation to all-cause mortality, January 1993-February 2007. The reference group for each diagnostic category was participants with no spell >7 days for that diagn…
Using Sickness Absence Records to Predict Future Depression in a Working Population
Objectives. We tested the hypothesis that sickness absence from work predicts workers' risk of later depression. Methods. Study participants (n = 7391) belonged to the French GAZEL cohort of employees of the national gas and electricity company. Sickness absence data (1996–1999) were obtained from company records. Participants' depression in 1996 and 1999 was assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies–Depression (CES-D) scale. The analyse…
Sickness-certification practice in different clinical settings; a survey of all physicians in a country
So far, most interventions regarding physicians' sickness-certification practices have been targeted towards primary health care and general practitioners. Our results indicate that the ORs for finding these tasks problematic were highest in primary health care. Nevertheless, physicians in some other clinical settings more often have such consultations and many of them also find these tasks problematic, e.g. in rheumatology, neurology, psychiatry…
What physicians want to learn about sickness certification
A majority of physicians in most types of clinics/practices, not only primary care, indicated the need for more knowledge and skills in handling sickness certification cases. Increased knowledge and skills are needed in order to protect both the health and equity of patients. However, few physicians stated that they needed more skills in filling out sickness certificates, which contradicts previous findings about such documents being of poor qual…
Are self-report of disability pension and long-term sickness absence accurate? Comparisons of self-reported interview data with national register data in a Swedish twin cohort
Self-reported DP data may be very useful in studies when register information is not available, however, register data is preferred especially for LTSA. The same degree of twin similarity was found for truthful self-report of DP and LTSA in both monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs. Thus, the response style was not influenced by genetic factors. One consequence of this would be that when estimating the relative importance of genetic and environme…
All-cause and diagnosis-specific sickness absence as a predictor of sustained suboptimal health
UNLABELLED: background: Previous studies show that sickness absence predicts health, but it is unclear whether this association is persistent over time and whether specific diseases underlie long-term associations. The aim of this study was to investigate overall and diagnosis-specific sickness absences as predictors of sustained suboptimal health. METHODS: Prospective occupational cohort study of 15 320 employees (73% men) aged 37-51. Sickness a…
Stability and change in health behaviours as predictors for disability pension
Health behaviours in adulthood, including an increase in pain locations were associated with the incidence of DP. The association between physical activity and DP was especially related to adulthood choices or habits, i.e., the individual decision about frequency of exercising. Thus, it is important to e.g. increase public awareness of the potential beneficial effects of exercise throughout life to avoid permanent exclusion from the labour market…
Work-related psychosocial events as triggers of sick leave - results from a Swedish case-crossover study
Exposure to problems in workplace relationships or a stressful work situation seems to be able to trigger reporting sick. Psychosocial work-environmental factors appear to have a short-term effect on individuals when deciding to report sick
Self-reported hearing difficulties, main income sources, and socio-economic status; a cross-sectional population-based study in Sweden
Hearing difficulties were more prevalent in men. After adjustment with age and SES as well as with type of living area and country of birth, a significant association with unemployment benefits was found only in women, and the associations with long-term sickness absence and disability pension tended to be stronger in women
Activities and sources of income after a period of long-term sick leave - a population-based prospective cohort study
The low future employment rates for people on long-term sick leave may seem surprising. There are several possible explanations for the finding: The disorders these people may have, might have entailed longstanding difficulties on the labor market. Besides, long-term absence from work, no matter what its causes were, might have worsen the chances of further employment. The economic cycles may also have been of importance. The improving labor mark…
Reliance on social security benefits by Swedish patients with ill-health attributed to dental fillings
Ill health related to dental materials is likely to be associated with dependence on social security benefits. Dental filling replacement does not seem to improve workforce participation
Exposure to parental mortality and markers of morbidity, and the risks of attempted and completed suicide in offspring
BACKGROUND: There is evidence of parental risk factors for suicidal behaviour in offspring, but research on variations in their effects with offspring's age at first exposure is sparse. AIMS: To explore the effects of age at exposure to parental mortality and markers of morbidity on the risks of suicide and attempted suicide in offspring. METHODS: This was a case-control study effected through record linkage between Swedish registers. Individuals…
Diagnosis-specific sick leave as a long-term predictor of disability pension
BACKGROUND: Factors that increase the risk of labour market exclusion are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the extent to which all-cause and diagnosis-specific sick leave predict subsequent disability pension (DP). METHODS: Prospective cohort study of 20 434 persons employed by the French national gas and electric company (the GAZEL study). New sick-leave spells >7 days in 1990-1992 were obtained from company records. Follow-up for D…
Reasons for and factors associated with issuing sickness certificates for longer periods than necessary
This study showed that physicians issued sickness certificates for longer periods than actually necessary quite frequently at some types of clinics. Differences between clinics were to a large extent associated with frequency of problems, lack of time, delicate interactions with patients, and need for more competence
A prospective cohort study of disability pension due to mental diagnoses
Poor or moderate SRH, under- or overweight, former tobacco use or being an abstainer from alcohol seem to be strong direct predictors of DP due to mental diagnoses, independently of several confounders of this study, including familial factors
Does feeling respected influence return to work? Cross-sectional study on sick-listed patients’ experiences of encounters with social insurance office staff
Long-term sick-listed patients find that their self-reported ability to return to work is affected by positive and negative encounters with social insurance office staff. This effect is further enhanced by feeling respected or wronged, respectively
Sickness absence due to otoaudiological diagnoses; a descriptive nationwide study
Although the actual number of individuals with a sick-leave spell due to specific otoaudiological diagnosis might not be considered high, the high prevalence of long sick-leave spells due to particularly hearing and tinnitus diagnoses indicates the importance of preventive and rehabilitative actions
Examination of the construct validity of the Swedish version of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in breast cancer patients
Associations between number of sick-leave days and future all-cause and cause-specific mortality
Even a low number of sick-leave days was associated with a higher risk for premature death in the following 11 years, also when adjusting for morbidity. This was the case for both women and men and also for cause-specific mortality. More knowledge is warranted on the mechanisms leading to higher mortality risks among sickness absentees, as sickness certification is a common measure in health care, and most sick leave is due to diagnoses you do no…
Medicine (44 works) · Environmental health (34 works) · Population (32 works) · Demography (30 works) · Epidemiology (27 works) · Internal Medicine (27 works) · Workplace Health and Well-being (27 works) · Biostatistics (25 works) · Demography (24 works) · Disability pension (24 works)