The Associations Between Illness Perceptions and Expectations About Return to Work of Workers With Chronic Diseases and Their Significant Others: A Dyadic Analysis

Purpose To examine the associations between illness perceptions and expectations about full return to work (RTW) of workers with chronic diseases and their significant others. Methods This study used cross-sectional data of 94 dyads consisting of workers with chronic diseases and their significant others. We performed dyadic analyses based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM), estimating associations of illness perceptions of the two members of the dyad with their own expectations about the worker’s full RTW within six months (actor effect) as well as with the other dyad member’s expectations about the worker’s RTW (partner effect). Results Illness perceptions of one dyad member were significantly associated with his or her own RTW expectations (actor effect composite illness perceptions score; B = −0.05, p