Socioeconomic disadvantage among working-age adults with severe visual impairment in Denmark
Abstract
Background: Severe visual impairment or blindness (SVI/B) is associated with reduced social participation; however, evidence on the socioeconomic consequences at the population level remains limited. We investigated disparities in educational attainment and labour market participation among adults with SVI/B in Denmark.
Methods: We applied a cross-sectional, register-based study design utilizing nationwide registries, including individuals aged 20-59 years living with SVI/B (n = 2,261) and the general Danish population (n = 2,997,414). Educational attainment was classified according to the International Standard Classification of Education and dichotomized into lower secondary versus upper secondary or post-secondary education. Labour market participation was dichotomized as affiliation versus non-affiliation with the labour market, and early retirement versus other states. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals, adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, and region of residence. Effect modification by age was assessed using interaction terms and age-stratified analyses.
Results: SVI/B was associated with increased odds across all outcomes. For low educational attainment, the crude OR was 4.82 [4.44-5.23], and the adjusted OR was 4.96 [4.56-5.39]. For non-affiliation with the labour market, the crude OR was 9.07 [8.24-9.99] and the adjusted OR was 12.40 [11.24-13.67]. The most pronounced association was observed for early retirement, with a crude OR of 23.60 [21.73-25.64] and an adjusted OR of 26.00 [23.79-28.42]. Associations varied by age but remained evident across working age. Findings were consistent in sensitivity analyses utilizing broader age ranges.
Conclusions: SVI/B is associated with socioeconomic disadvantages in educational attainment and labour market participation among working-age adults in Denmark. These associations persist after adjusting for demographic and regional factors.
Key messages: • Severe visual impairment is associated with marked educational and labour market disadvantage across working age, highlighting socioeconomic inequalities within a universal welfare state.
• Differences in labour market participation and early retirement among adults with severe visual impairment persist after adjusting for demographic factors, indicating exclusion during working life.
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BibTeX
@article{jakobsen2026socioeconomic,
title = {{Socioeconomic disadvantage among working-age adults with severe visual impairment in Denmark}},
author = {KP Jakobsen and LJ Ahrenfeldt and J Grauslund and L Stokholm and S Möller},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.327},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.327},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Socioeconomic disadvantage among working-age adults with severe visual impairment in Denmark
AU - KP Jakobsen
AU - LJ Ahrenfeldt
AU - J Grauslund
AU - L Stokholm
AU - S Möller
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.327
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.327
AB - Background: Severe visual impairment or blindness (SVI/B) is associated with reduced social participation; however, evidence on the socioeconomic consequences at the population level remains limited. We investigated disparities in educational attainment and labour market participation among adults with SVI/B in Denmark. Methods: We applied a cross-sectional, register-based study design utilizing nationwide registries, including individuals aged 20-59 years living with SVI/B (n = 2,261) and the general Danish population (n = 2,997,414). Educational attainment was classified according to the International Standard Classification of Education and dichotomized into lower secondary versus upper secondary or post-secondary education. Labour market participation was dichotomized as affiliation versus non-affiliation with the labour market, and early retirement versus other states. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals, adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, and region of residence. Effect modification by age was assessed using interaction terms and age-stratified analyses. Results: SVI/B was associated with increased odds across all outcomes. For low educational attainment, the crude OR was 4.82 [4.44-5.23], and the adjusted OR was 4.96 [4.56-5.39]. For non-affiliation with the labour market, the crude OR was 9.07 [8.24-9.99] and the adjusted OR was 12.40 [11.24-13.67]. The most pronounced association was observed for early retirement, with a crude OR of 23.60 [21.73-25.64] and an adjusted OR of 26.00 [23.79-28.42]. Associations varied by age but remained evident across working age. Findings were consistent in sensitivity analyses utilizing broader age ranges. Conclusions: SVI/B is associated with socioeconomic disadvantages in educational attainment and labour market participation among working-age adults in Denmark. These associations persist after adjusting for demographic and regional factors. Key messages: • Severe visual impairment is associated with marked educational and labour market disadvantage across working age, highlighting socioeconomic inequalities within a universal welfare state. • Differences in labour market participation and early retirement among adults with severe visual impairment persist after adjusting for demographic factors, indicating exclusion during working life.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -