Cardiopulmonary capacity and psychological factors are related to return to work in orthopedic rehabilitation patients.

Health psychology sheds light on the process of returning to work after sick leave and subsequent medical rehabilitation. A 15-month longitudinal study with N = 201 orthopedic rehabilitation patients is reported. It examined whether and how both physiological health (e.g. body mass index and oxygen reabsorption) and psychological/social-cognitive factors (e.g. self-efficacy and social support) are related to returning to work. It was found that social-cognitive and physiological variables, such as oxygen consumption at anaerobic threshold, are important for returning to work. While physical activity was significantly correlated with social-cognitive variables, it was not significantly correlated directly with returning to work. Results suggest that self-efficacy and oxygen consumption at anaerobic threshold should be improved during medical rehabilitation.