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PubMed2006

Musculoskeletal disorders in shipyard industry: prevalence, health care use, and absenteeism.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether the well-known risk factors for the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) also play an important role in the determining consequences of MSD in terms of sickness absence and health care use. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 853 shipyard employees. Data were collected by questionnaire on physical and psychosocial workload, need for recovery, perceived general health, occurrence of musculoskeletal complaints, and health care use during the past year. Retrospective data on absenteeism were also available from the company register. RESULTS: In total, 37%, 22%, and 15% of employees reported complaints of low back, shoulder/neck, and hand/wrist during the past 12 months, respectively. Among all employees with at least one MSD, 27% visited a physician at least once and 20% took at least one period of sick leave. Various individual and work-related factors were associated with the occurrence of MSD. Health care use and absenteeism were strongest influenced by chronicity of musculoskeletal complaints and comorbidity with other musculoskeletal complaints and, to a lesser extent, by work-related factors. CONCLUSION: In programmes aimed at preventing the unfavourable consequences of MSD in terms of sickness absence and health care use it is important to identify the (individual) factors that determine the development of chronicity of complaints. These factors may differ from the well-know risk factors for the occurrence of MSD that are targeted in primary prevention.

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PubMed2000

[Absenteeism of nursing workers at a university hospital].

The purpose of this study was to identify the rates of absenteeism of nursing workers from a University Hospital due to diseases. Therefore, the author verified the number of absences due to health problems registered during 12 months, calculating the frequency rate as well as the percentage of wasted time. Data were collected and transcribed after consultation to reports organized by the human resources department of the institution studied. Results showed that the higher rate of absence occurred in the Pediatric Unit (If = 0.35) and the higher percentage of wasted time occurred in the Emergency Unit (Tp = 4.19). The author concluded that the rate of absenteeism due to disease was high among the workers, indicating the need of creating a database in order to optimize the registration of absences and their control as well as of stimulating the development of future research.

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PubMed1991

Effects of moon phase and other temporal variables on absenteeism.

Previous research on the effects of lunar phase on deviant behavior has produced weak and inconsistent results and has been criticized for failing to use appropriate statistical controls. This study examined the effects of the full moon on daily absenteeism rates in a large organization while correcting for autocorrelation and controlling for the effects of the day of the week, month, and proximity to a holiday. Contrary to expectations, the full moon was associated with a significant (but very slight) decrease in absenteeism. Reasons for persistent beliefs in the effects of the full moon are discussed.

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PubMed2006

Impact of gastroesophageal reflux symptoms on health resource usage and work absenteeism in Spain.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the impact of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) symptoms on the utilization of healthcare services and work absenteeism in Spain. METHODS: A cross-sectional study on 2,500 subjects representative of the Spanish population from 40 to 79 years of age. Data were collected via a telephone interview in January 2002 using Locke s questionnaire after its cross-cultural adaptation and validation for telephone use in Spain. RESULTS: GER is responsible for 296.8 doctor consultations (95% CI: 245.3-348.7) per 1,000 inhabitants per year, for 24 esophagogastrointestinal radiographic studies per 1,000 inhabitants per year (95% CI: 18-30), for 32.4 (95% CI: 25.5-39.3) high digestive endoscopies per 1,000 inhabitants per year, and for the loss of 201 (95% CI: 0-411.1) working days per 1,000 employed inhabitants with GER per year. In relation to medication intake, GER resulted in 4,092 (95% CI: 3,300-5,133) treatment days with H2 antagonists per 1,000 inhabitants per year, 9,030 (95% CI: 7,846-10,332) treatment days with proton pump inhibitors per 1,000 inhabitants per year, and 1,082 (95% CI: 519-1,549) treatment days with prokinetics per 1,000 inhabitants per year. CONCLUSIONS: GER has a large impact on the utilization of healthcare resources and work absenteeism in Spain, in contrast to the widespread belief that it is an illness of little importance.

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PubMed1999

The relationship between stress and absenteeism.

UNLABELLED: BACKGROUND OF STUDY: Three hundred and sixty three subjects from various civil service organisations were administered the SCOPE-i (Stress, Coping and Personality Inventory) as part of the Institute of Mental Health's efforts to promote mental health in the workplace. AIM OF STUDY: This study examines the relationship between stress-related factors and absenteeism. Absenteeism is measured by the number of days of medical leave taken (MC) and self-report of minor illnesses (MI) which are not severe enough to warrant the coverage of a medical certificate. RESULTS: In this study, we are interested in the differences between MI and MC, and their respective relationships with stress-related factors. We hypothesised that MI, rather than MC, is more related to poor workplace conditions. The findings of this study support this hypothesis. Thus if workplace environment is stressful, people are still likely to come to work despite their illness. An interesting observation in this study is the different ways in which environmental stressors and psychosocial aspects of the workplace environment affect the MC variable. Individuals are more likely to take MC when the environmental stressors are high (i.e., poor lighting, uncomfortable temperatures, etc) as compared to poor psychosocial environmental conditions (e.g., work overload, high organisational tension, career limitations and high personal constraints). On the other hand, when faced with poor psychosocial environmental conditions, MI increases instead of MC. CONCLUSION: These findings have implications on the types of changes in a workplace which employers should make in order to decrease MC and improve physical well-being. In addition, the study shows the usefulness of MI in future studies as a dependent variable.

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PubMed2001

Reduction of illness absenteeism in elementary schools using an alcohol-free instant hand sanitizer.

Hand washing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of communicable disease. The purpose of this double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to assess whether an alcohol-free, instant hand sanitizer containing surfactants, allantoin, and benzalkonium chloride could reduce illness absenteeism in a population of 769 elementary school children and serve as an effective alternative when regular soap and water hand washing was not readily available. Prior to the study, students were educated about proper hand washing technique, the importance of hand washing to prevent transmission of germs, and the relationship between germs and illnesses. Children in kindergarten through the 6th grade (ages 5-12) were assigned to the active or placebo hand-sanitizer product and instructed to use the product at scheduled times during the day and as needed after coughing or sneezing. Data on illness absenteeism were tracked. After 5 weeks, students using the active product were 33% less likely to have been absent because of illness when compared with the placebo group.

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PubMed1992

[The relationship between job appreciation and absenteeism studied with the use of a simple questionnaire].

In the period February 1986-January 1988 a questionnaire study was carried out among 455 men aged 39-55 years working for the Netherlands Post Office to determine whether a correlation exists between job appreciation and absenteeism. Job appreciation was estimated by means of seven questions concerning: pleasure at work, fatigue after work, job satisfaction, mental stress due to the work, tension in contact with colleagues, tension in contacts with superiors and the physical exertion of working. Answers were scored on a 7-point scale. It was found that a particular score area exists that is correlated with significantly more absenteeism. The results apply to groups, not to individuals.

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PubMed1992

[Relationship of smoking to absenteeism due to illness and injury in male workers].

The relationship between smoking and absenteeism due to illness and injury was studied in 21,924 male workers employed in the chemical fiber industry in Japan. Smokers had a significantly higher incidence of absence than non-smokers. The proportion of cases of absence in smokers was 30% higher and the number of days of absence was 28% greater than in non-smokers. Ex-smokers also had a significantly higher incidence of absence than non-smokers. In ex-smokers the proportion of cases of absence was 22% higher and the number of days of absence was 68% greater than in non-smokers. Although there was no significant difference between smokers and non-smokers in the number of days of absence attributed to cardiovascular or respiratory diseases, smokers were absent for about twice as many days as non-smokers for diseases of the digestive system. For ex-smokers the number of days of absence was 4.3 times higher for cardiovascular diseases, 1.5 times higher for respiratory diseases, and 2.9 times higher for digestive system diseases than in non-smokers. After correction for age, type of work, Body Mass Index, exercise, and drinking by multiple logistic analysis significantly elevated relative risks for absence persisted both in smokers and ex-smokers vs. non-smokers at 1.4 and 1.3, respectively. Significant dose-response relationships between incidence of absence and the number of cigarettes smoked per day were observed in respiratory disease, diseases of the digestive system and all disease causes. A significant dose-response relationship between incidence of absence and smoking index was also observed for diseases of the digestive system. These findings clearly indicate that smoking by workers was associated with absence due to illness and injury, and suggest that smoking was a factor contributing to an increase in absenteeism due to illness and injury in workers.

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PubMed2004

Absenteeism among employees with irritable bowel syndrome.

Patterns of illness or disability-related work absence six months before and six months after a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were assessed from medical claims and absenteeism databases and were compared with a sample of patients with no gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. The records of 630 patients with IBS were compared with those of 1,260 persons without GI conditions. Mean monthly IBS-related absences increased by 69% (from 0.96 to 1.62 days) from the beginning of the six-month period before diagnosis to the month of diagnosis. With multivariate regression analysis, the incremental effect of an IBS diagnosis on six-month absenteeism was estimated to be 3.27 absences greater for persons with IBS.

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PubMedDate not supplied

Absenteeism: how much is too much?

Absenteeism is an issue that concerns every manager. It is complicated and encompasses much more than just sick time use. It is important to examine the various categories of absenteeism, to develop accurate tracking systems, and to determine acceptable levels of absence.

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PubMed1992

Chemical dependence. Analysis of work absenteeism and associated medical illnesses.

Workers with a medical diagnosis of chemical dependence were selected and compared with matched controls; we hypothesized there were significant differences in absenteeism and certain medical illnesses. Employee data were obtained from medical insurance sickness and accident reports. Illnesses were summarized into diagnostic clusters for analysis. Chemically-dependent workers had significantly more (P less than .05) absenteeism, injuries hypertension, and mental disorders than did the control group. Using these findings, employers can conduct prospective studies that select workers to be screened for chemical dependence.

Absenteeism↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Scholar absenteeism and use of health services in children and adolescents with wheezing].

INTRODUCTION: Asthma is an important problem at the primary care level where almost 97% of the cases are managed. Brazil shows high rates of the disease nevertheless few is known about the characteristics related to school absenteeism and the health care usage among urban pediatric population of Duque de Caxias County, Rio de Janeiro. OBJECTIVES: To obtain an estimate of the prevalence of school absenteeism and to evaluate the use of health care related to wheezing in asthmatic and non asthmatic children and adolescents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study was carried out using a questionnaire for a prospective data collection. The gold standard for asthma was a minimal increment of 12% in the forced expiratory volume of the first second (FEV1), after a bronchodilatation test. RESULTS: 211 patients seeking emergency care for a number of conditions with ages between 5 and 15 years were evaluated. Sample asthma prevalence and reported wheezing rates were: 22% (47/211) and 47% (98/211). About 67% (141/211) of the families had an annual income lesser than US dollar 3600. Asthmatic and non-asthmatic patients showed, respectively, the following averages and rates: 1) emergency department visits: 40.4% (19/47) and 29.3% (48/164), 2) ambulatory visits: 34% (16/47) and 14.6% (24/164) (p = 0.003), 3) hospitalizations: 6.4% (3/47) and 4.9% (8/164), 4) number of consultations in ambulatory: 1.74 (SD = 2.71) and 0.47 (SD = 1.44) (p = 0.00003), 5) number of visits in emergency department: 1.47 (SD = 2.36) and 0.95 (SD = 2.15). CONCLUSION: The results are relevant as they describe asthma morbidity, showing that wheezing is a heavy burden to the population of Duque de Caxias. Further studies are needed to better evaluate the group of children and adolescents that although being classified as non-asthmatic presented some characteristics that were to the asthmatic patients.

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PubMed1990

Reducing direct-care staff absenteeism: effects of a combined reinforcement and punishment procedure.

Absenteeism of 130 direct-care staff was reduced by 27% through a mixed consequence procedure consisting of positive reinforcement for reliable attendance and punishment (progressive discipline) for attendance abuse. Reduced rates of absenteeism were maintained over a 12-month period. A 17% reduction in overtime and an increase in annual staff turnover from 34% to 45% also occurred. Results extend the findings of mixed consequence procedures to residential facilities for persons with developmental disabilities. Development of a more powerful positive reinforcement component was discussed.

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PubMedDate not supplied

Nonpunitive discipline. A method of reducing absenteeism.

Absenteeism affects healthcare by reducing the work force during a time of crisis in availability of skilled nursing care providers. An absent worker is a loss to the employer both financially and emotionally. By understanding and using the concept of nonpunitive discipline, nurse administrators can effectively reduce absenteeism and increase the availability of professional nursing resources.

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PubMed1989

[Developmental trends in work absenteeism of adolescents].

An extreme negative development in the frequency of adolescent's exemptions from work during 1967-1977 is opposed by a positive development in the following period. Thus, in 1987 adolescents reached the lowest recorded level in respect to illness-caused absentee rates, related to the 1967 level. Therefore, decreases of sickness figures almost exclusively resulted from changes in the younger age groups, especially in adolescents. In the other age groups work absenteeism due to sickness not only remained at the high 1976 level, the year with the highest sickness figure in the GDR, but continuously exceeded it. The results are critically discussed.

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PubMed1988

[Morbidity among textile industry workers evaluated on the basis of cross sectional studies and absenteeism data].

In the study of a randomly selected group of textile workers, a tentative comparative analysis of chronic diseases prevalence rates, as estimated from medical examinations and certificates on temporary work disablement, was carried out. The information from both those sources is highly differentiated, depending on the type of disease. In case of diseases of endocrine glands, metabolism, blood and haematopoietic organs, as well as mental disorders, diseases of the circulatory and osteomuscular systems, the rates of diagnoses through medical examinations considerably surpass those indicated by certificates of temporary work disablement. E.g. circulatory system diseases were found in 29% of 5132 subjects, whereas only 16% of subjects exhibited absenteeism related to that disease. The divergence of the rates of diagnoses and sickness absenteeism was found in the central nervous system diseases (1%), heart diseases (7%), chronic bronchitis (3.8%-3.2%), gastric and duodenal ulcer (4.7%-4.3%) and in the diseases of liver, gallbladder and pancreas (6.0%-5.3%).

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PubMed1988

Absenteeism certification: the physician's role.

Two hundred five family physicians and 135 personnel managers were surveyed to determine the physician's role in certifying absenteeism. Fifty-four percent of the managers returned the questionnaire and indicated that the physician's certificate reduced absenteeism. Even though they expressed dissatisfaction with the certificate's content, the personnel managers usually did not request additional information. Sixty-six percent of the physicians returned questionnaires, with 80 percent reporting one or more requests for certification per week, and 41 percent feeling pressured to write unwarranted excuses. The primary factor the physicians considered when writing an excuse was whether the illness could be verified. Requests for excuses when conditions lacked objective findings produced physician feelings of reluctance, of suspicion, and of being manipulated.

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PubMed1986

Absenteeism. Nursing service's albatross.

Absenteeism negatively impacts sick leave benefits, staff hours, overtime pay, salary losses, productivity, employee moral, continuity, and quality of patient care. This paper describes findings from a large study that was conducted for the purpose of identifying variables contributing to absenteeism. Variables identified by the study included child care problems, conflict between the parent and employee roles, staffing and scheduling difficulties, and attitudes toward sick leave. While valuable information was identified by the study, the findings raised some serious questions about productivity, staff attitudes, and work ethics.

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