[Use of disability pensions. Disability pensions from 1967 to 1992 in a group from Bergen born in 1940].

The authors describe the medical conditions (expressed by ICD-codes) leading to a disability pension in a cohort of 1,570 persons born in the year 1940. Information on disability pensions was extracted from the files of the National Insurance Administration for the years 1967-92. The disability diagnoses varied during the period 1967-92. Diagnoses during the first years reflect conditions that caused disability of young persons. Later on, diagnoses of "traditional" mental and organic diseases were used. Gradually other diagnoses, including alcoholism also appeared. This was a consequence of a broadening in the 1970s of the medical criteria for occupational disability. In recent years, disability diagnoses related to unspecific conditions are seen, particularly diagnoses reflecting symptoms associated with the musculosceletal system. These disability diagnoses were used in the case of about 30% of the women in the cohort who became new pensioners during the period 1988-92.