Employment status among persons attending cardiac rehabilitation in a primary healthcare setting: A Danish cohort study

Background: Limited understanding exists regarding effective return-to-work strategies for persons participating in cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the association between CR completion and employment status at 6- and 18-months post-inclusion in CR within primary healthcare settings in the Central Denmark Region. Methods: A cohort study was conducted using data from a non-randomized clinical controlled trial involving persons with ischemic heart disease attending CR between August 1, 2018, and July 31, 2019, within the working age (18–65 years). Successful CR completion was defined as attending ≥75% of the program. Employment status was assessed at 6- and 18-months post-CR inclusion. Logistic and linear regression models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used for association analysis. Results: The study encompassed 244 participants, of whom 109 completed CR and 135 not. At 6 months’ follow-up, 65.9% of the study population were working, with 47.8% being CR completers and 52,2% non-completers. At 18 months’ follow-up, 69.3% of the participants were working, including 45.0% completers and 55.0% non-completers. Conclusion: The study found no statistically significant differences in employment status between persons who completed CR and those who did not, suggesting limited influence of CR attendance on subsequent employment outcomes.