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Social factors influencing absenteeism due to illness in nursery school children.

An archival study involving data for 204 children enrolled in a nursery school examined social and other factors related to absenteeism from school due to reported illness. Parents' ratings of the child's sociability prior to entering school were inversely related to absenteeism rate during the first year of school after statistically controlling for socioeconomic class, birth order, sex, the child's early health history, and family and sibling interaction patterns. Additional analyses based on a subset of the sample indicated that teachers' perceptions of the children's sociability were also related to absentee rates (but not to parents' sociability ratings).

Absenteeism↗

The rate of sickness absenteeism among employees at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Sickness absence records were reviewed for all employees of King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia over a 3 year period from 1989 to 1991. The result showed a sickness absence rate of 7.7% with an average of 0.24 spells of sickness and duration of 1.24 days per absentee per year. The biological characteristics of the absentees showed no differentials in the spell rate of sickness, but nurses and junior workers had higher duration of sickness absence than other categories of workers. Acute respiratory and upper tract infections, sore throat, chickenpox, septicaemia, and diseases of the musculoskeletal system (mainly back pain) were the leading conditions resulting in absenteeism. This study revealed the need to improve the sickness absence records of the hospital to make it a valuable source of information for the management.

Absenteeism↗

[Absenteeism].

In 1993, absenteeism among nursing personnel of Dr. Georges-L. Dumont regional hospital in New Brunswick was 10.3 days per employee. The Human Resources Department of the hospital authorized the study described here in order to identify the roots of the problem. The author hypothesized that worker dissatisfaction was one of the major causes of absenteeism. The results indicate that dissatisfaction is related to workload, hospital policies and procedures and employee benefits. Satisfaction was noted for certain variables including autonomy in the workplace, relationships with colleagues, and leadership style on the unit. Dissatisfied nurses who would not choose nursing as a profession the second time around have less seniority and work night shifts. Conversely, satisfied nurses are those who would choose nursing again. They have more seniority and do not work night shifts. Almost all respondents believe that dissatisfaction in the workplace affects quality of care, encourages absenteeism in order to flee the workplace and negatively affects motivation. The author suggests further studies to verify how dissatisfaction in the workplace influences motivation and quality of nursing care.

Absenteeism↗

[Backache and and related absenteeism].

The aim of this work was to compare the outcome of the questionnaire survey of low back pain with data on related sickness absenteeism. The questionnaire was responded by 585 (88.8%) employees. Of these number 288 (49.2%) respondents complained of low back pain. Sick leaves were given to 48 (16.7%) persons who had reported low back pains in the questionnaire and to 25 (8.4%) employees of 297 who had not reported the pain and also to 4 (5.4%) persons of 57 who had not responded to the questionnaire. Among those who had not complained of low back pain and were given sick leaves, mostly short ones, there were mainly men and blue collar workers. On the basis of our survey it seems that the analysis of sickness absenteeism due to low back pain does not completely reflect the prevalence of this disease, and that epidemiological studies of the prevalence should also take into consideration relevant sickness absenteeism.

Absenteeism↗

Front line workers in long-term care: the effect of educational interventions and stabilization of staffing ratios on turnover and absenteeism.

OBJECTIVE: Front line workers in long-term care play a crucial role in helping residents achieve their highest possible functional level. High turnover (rates in excess of 100% are common) and absenteeism threaten the ability of long-term care providers to meet this goal. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a formalized certified nursing assistant (CNA) education program and stabilization of staffing ratios on turnover and absenteeism. DESIGN AND SETTING: This study was a 12-month prospective, nonrandomized trial involving two long-term care facilities providing traditional intermediate and skilled care serving as study sites and a similar facility serving as a control. For historical comparisons, each facility served as its own control using data from the year before the interventions. INTERVENTIONS: An in-house educational program based on the State of North Carolina core curriculum for CNAs was instituted in each study site. During the study period, efforts were made to achieve stable staffing ratios of 1 CNA:8 residents for days, 1:10 for evenings, and 1:15 for nights. Traditional quality of care indicators and resident/surrogate satisfaction were tracked during the study period. RESULTS: Both study facilities showed a decline in turnover, with the decline reaching statistically significant levels at Facility B (134% to 41%, P = 0.0001). Absenteeism rates did not change significantly during the study period. Resident/surrogate satisfaction with nursing care was improved significantly at Facility B (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: A formal education program in conjunction with stabilization of staffing ratios can result in lower turnover rates for CNA's and improved resident/surrogate satisfaction.

Journal Article↗

[Absenteeism during treatment for leprosy. Analysis of causes as apparent from a survey in southern India].

The reasons for absenteeism during leprosy treatment were investigated in a rural area of southern India. 120 patients known as "absents" to most controls were first interviewed and the major causes for absenteeism thus determined. A questionnaire was then elaborated in view to reveal these principal causes with efficiency and was applied by 8 investigators to 1200 patients, mostly absents or irregular to medical visits. 620 were selected at random for computer analysis. Results suggest that anxiety for loss of income while attending the medical control and erroneous impression of cure as soon as skin lesions have improved could be of first importance. Nevertheless no relation appears between absenteeism and income level, number of persons depending on the patient, or type of leprosy. Adverse reactions attributed to DDS are also frequently reported, especially fever, because of confusion with leprosy reactions, malaria and any other febrile condition. Assiduity to medical visits could be determined during the year following this study in 1191 of the 1200 patients showing clear beneficial effect over this period.

Adult↗

Nurses' job satisfaction, absenteeism, and turnover after implementing a special care unit practice model.

The purpose of the study was to compare job satisfaction, absenteeism, and turnover between nurses working in a nurse-managed special care unit (SCU) and those working in traditional intensive care units (ICU). A case management practice model with a shared governance management model and minimal technology was implemented in the SCU while contrasting features of a primary nursing practice model with a bureaucratic management model and high technology already in place in the traditional ICU. Individual nurses' perceptions of and their preferences for the SCU practice model also were examined related to job satisfaction. Using analysis of covariance, greater satisfaction with a lower absenteeism rate was found in nurses working in the SCU. Nurses' perceptions and preferences for the SCU practice model were closely related to their job satisfaction and growth satisfaction. The findings suggest that individual perception and preference should be taken into account before implementing autonomy, authority, and responsibility at the organizational level to lead to the desired nurse outcomes in a given working environment.

Absenteeism↗

Effects of aerobic and nonaerobic exercise on anxiety, absenteeism, and job satisfaction.

The effects of aerobic and nonaerobic exercise on employee state and trait anxiety levels, absenteeism, job satisfaction, and resting heart rate were investigated within a worksite setting. Results indicated that aerobic subjects significantly reduced their state anxiety levels over a single exercise session. Post-exercise state anxiety decreased over the 8 weeks for both groups. Aerobic subjects who were not previous exercisers decreased their trait anxiety. No changes in job satisfaction, absenteeism, or resting heart rate were evident. These results support past findings that concluded that aerobic exercise is superior to nonaerobic exercise for anxiety reduction. Tentative evidence was found to oppose the hypothesis that cardiovascular conditioning is the mechanism responsible for the psychological benefits because no significant cardiovascular changes occurred.

Absenteeism↗

The effects of fatigue, distractibility, and absenteeism on school achievement in children with rheumatic diseases.

Children with chronic health impairments have a variety of psychosocial, physical, and medical complications affecting daily life. This study investigated the relationship between the effects of a rheumatic disease (RD) and school functioning. Factors investigated were fatigue, distractibility, and absenteeism. In addition, disease severity and mobility were assessed. Forty-six children with RD and their parents participated in the study. Results indicated that inattention and distractibility were highly related to school achievement. A minimal relationship between fatigue and absenteeism and school performance was noted. In addition, ratings of mobility used by physicians were unrelated to success on math and reading achievement testing.

Absenteeism↗

Absenteeism and business costs: does substance abuse matter?

We conducted an empirical test of the assertion that absenteeism related to substance abuse and dependence among workers is an important contributor to the cost of doing business among American companies, a cost sufficient to motivate firms to aggressively intervene to eliminate abuse and dependence among their employees. The results of this analysis, based on relevant national data sets, suggest that such abuse-based absenteeism is, at best, an incidental cost to business and is insufficient to justify significant prophylactic or therapeutic investments of scarce human resource dollars to achieve an abuse and dependence free workplace. These findings force both public and private sector policymakers to turn to a "hazardous use"/"critical incident" rational as the basis of their argument that American business should invest human resource dollars in specific programs and technologies designed to achieve a drug-free workplace.

Absenteeism↗

Absentee patterns among OR staff. Identifying aspects of the problem.

Absenteeism continues to be a great concern to hospital administrators. Nursing personnel should have a clear idea of acceptable attendance parameters based on written policies that are routinely administered. Efforts are now directed toward exploring strategies that reward personnel for good attendance records. Early development of professional attitudes related to absenteeism should continue to be supported and fostered. Implications from this preliminary study indicate that it may be more cost-effective to hire RNs than STs to work in ORs.

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The use of primary/national school absenteeism as a proxy retrospective child health status measure in an environmental pollution investigation.

As a result of community concerns over animal and human ill health centred around a rural town in the Republic of Ireland, a series of epidemiological studies were conducted. The absence of adequate health-information systems forced researchers to investigate alternative methods of assessing child health in the 'at-risk' area. This study aimed to examine annual primary/national school attendance data over a 10 year period as a proxy health status measure. Data from six geographical areas were analysed; one of these six areas was designated the 'high-risk' area on the basis of reports of animal ill health. Significantly higher absenteeism rates were noted in the 'high-risk' area in nine of the 10 years examined. Although caution is urged in the interpretation of these results, this study demonstrates that primary/national school absenteeism data can act as a useful, albeit crude, proxy measure of health status.

Absenteeism↗

Differential economic stability and psychosocial stress at work: associations with psychosomatic complaints and absenteeism.

Stressful working conditions are well known to have a negative impact on the worker's health. We investigated this association in a Belgian study with a psychosocial health perspective, including individual work characteristics as well as firms' features. These data come from the first measure of the Somstress study. This is a 4 year project, initiated in 1999 and conducted in four different firms. The objective of this article is to investigate the relationships between stress, working conditions and absenteeism, self-reported health and psychosomatic complaints. Firms were selected according to their degree of structural environment and job stability. Among the four work sites, one can be considered as stable, one unstable and the remaining ones in an in-between situation. Stress is generally measured according to one of the following models: the job demands control model (Karasek) and the effort-reward imbalance model (Siegrist). We used here both models, along with the social support at work (Karasek) and overcommitment (Siegrist). Sex, age and education are important health determinants. After adjustment for those three variables and additionally for the work instability, it appeared that poor health outcomes (measured by the self-rated health, depression (SCL-90), anxiety (SCL-90), somatisation (SCL-90), chronic fatigue (Vercoulen) and reported absenteeism) are mainly associated with a low control, low social support at work, high overcommitment and high level of imbalance. Inversely, job demands do not make any significant contribution in the logistic regression models for the above-mentioned health outcomes.

Absenteeism↗

Relationships among work climate, absenteeism, and salary insurance in teaching hospitals.

This two-tier study, involving employees at a university health centre, explored the relationship between work climate and absenteeism, and also looked at the relationship between work climate and salary insurance. Study findings show that the more positive the perception of work climate, the less employees have the tendency to stay away from work or to stay longer on salary insurance. Regression analyses showed that absenteeism can be predicted significantly by specific work climate indicators such as "challenge," "conflict," and "cooperation." Also, the length of time receiving salary insurance benefits can be predicted by the indicators "trust and support" and "warmth."

Absenteeism↗

Outcomes of a population-based asthma management program: quality of life, absenteeism, and utilization.

BACKGROUND: Despite the availability of the National Asthma Education Program (NAEP) guidelines since 1991, asthma remains inadequately managed. To improve quality of life, functional status, and self-management behavior of asthma patients, a large health maintenance organization (HMO) in California implemented an asthma management program in 1996. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of an asthma management program in an HMO setting. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective study. Survey data from members who participated in the intervention program and data from members who received usual care were analyzed using propensity score technique. RESULTS: A total of 1,043 asthma patients who responded both baseline and follow-up survey were included in the analysis. From baseline to followup, participants in the in-home intervention program reported significant improvement in functional status (improvements range from 0.2 to 7.2), daily use of steroid inhaler (+4.1%), daily peak flow meter use (+6.4%), self-reported knowledge of what to do for an asthma attack (+12.4%), and feeling that their asthma was under control (+10.8%). Absenteeism (-11.8%) and hospitalization due to asthma (-3.5%) were significantly reduced from baseline to follow-up. Participants did not report significant changes in overuse of beta2-agonists and emergency room visits due to asthma. In comparison with the asthmatic patients who received usual care (non-participants), participants had significantly greater improvement on daily use of steroid inhaler (+4.0% versus -6.0%), daily use of home peak flow meter (+6.4% versus 1.9%) and self-reported knowledge on what to do for an asthma attack (+12.4% versus +5.4%). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that population-based programs can improve functional status, increase self-monitoring and knowledge about asthma, and decrease absenteeism and hospitalization for asthma by directly providing asthmatic patients with educational materials and self-monitoring tools. Such "direct-to-consumer" outreach programs may help bridge the gap between NAEPs 1991 practice guidelines and the reality of current asthma management.

Absenteeism↗

Understanding the "personological" basis of employee withdrawal: the influence of affective disposition on employee tardiness, early departure, and absenteeism.

This study investigated the impact of positive affectivity (PA) and negative affectivity (NA) on employee tardiness, early departure, and absenteeism, controlling for demographic, job-related, and environmental variables. The 3 temporary withdrawal measures were collected from organizational records in the 12 months following the survey. The LISREL analysis was based on a sample of 362 blue-collar employees from a multinational automotive manufacturer. The results indicate that individuals high in PA were associated with increased tardiness and early departure but decreased absenteeism. Individuals high in NA were associated with increased early departure. In terms of moderator effects, job satisfaction had a significant negative impact for individuals low in PA in predicting tardiness and early departure, whereas job satisfaction displayed a significant negative relationship with early departure for individuals high in NA. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Absenteeism↗

The economic costs of alcohol-related absenteeism and reduced productivity among the working population of New Zealand.

Lost productivity accounts for a significant proportion of the total cost of alcohol. This study quantifies the costs associated with alcohol consumption using survey data collected from four alcohol surveys conducted in Auckland between November 1990 to May 1992. The total sample size was 4662, of which 2638 were drinkers in paid employment. A computer-assisted telephone interviewing system was used to interview a random sample that closely matched the Auckland population. Respondents gave information about their typical alcohol consumption and frequency of absences from paid employment which were a result of their drinking. They also gave a report of the number of times in the past 12 months when they felt their work had been impaired as a result of their drinking. The cost of absenteeism was recorded as the number of times a respondent reported time away from work multiplied by gross income. Estimates of reduced work efficiency were derived from US figures, which estimated a 25% reduction in work performance among heavy alcohol users; 3.7% of the sample reported alcohol-related absences and 12% reported reduced efficiency days. There was a significant difference in both the number and cost of absentee and reduced efficiency days reported between the top 10% and the bottom 10% drinkers. A conservative estimate of alcohol-related lost productivity among the working population of New Zealand (with a population of 3.4 million and a per capita absolute alcohol consumption of 9.7 litres) was found to be $57 million per year.

Absenteeism↗

Is there a link between subjective daytime somnolence and sickness absenteeism? A study in a working population.

A number of studies have highlighted the increasing incidence and financial cost of sleep-related disorders in the general population, but little research has been carried out on the impact of subjective daytime somnolence on health status. The existence of a survey of the health of employees of the French National Gas and Electricity Board has allowed us to investigate this question and measure the link between subjective daytime somnolence and sickness absenteeism, used here as a general health indicator. In order to evaluate the quality of sleep over the previous 3 months, a questionnaire was given to each participant. The association between subjective daytime somnolence and absence as a result of sickness was explored using the data of sickness absenteeism provided by the company's social security department during a 12-month follow-up period. Of our 1105 subjects, 6.7% reported severe subjective daytime somnolence of 3 days or more a week and 30% of our study population had at least one spell of sickness absence during the 12-month period of follow-up. A strong association was observed between subjective daytime somnolence and sickness absence, which remained significant even after adjustment for potential confounding variables (age, sex, employment grade, sleep symptoms and self-reported diseases). The odds-ratio for absence as a result of sickness during the follow-up period associated with subjective daytime somnolence of 3 days or more a week was 2.2 (95% CI: 1.3--3.8). Employees suffering from severe subjective daytime somnolence lose more working days for health reasons than their more alert colleagues. This may have long-term implications for employees' health.

Absenteeism↗