PURPOSE In research on the time to onset of sickness absence and the duration of sickness absence episodes, Cox proportional hazard models are in common use. However, parametric models are to be preferred when time in itself is considered as independent variable. This study compares parametric hazard rate models for the onset of long-term sickness absence and return to work. METHOD Prospectiv...

INTRODUCTION Research investigating frequent sickness absence (3 or more episodes per year) is scarce and qualitative research from the perspective of frequent absentees themselves is lacking. The aim of the current study is to explore awareness, determinants of and solutions to frequent sickness absence from the perspective of frequent absentees themselves. METHODS We performed a qualitative...

UNLABELLED background: Previous studies show that sickness absence predicts health, but it is unclear whether this association is persistent over time and whether specific diseases underlie long-term associations. The aim of this study was to investigate overall and diagnosis-specific sickness absences as predictors of sustained suboptimal health. METHODS Prospective occupational cohort study...

BACKGROUND After an episode of non-specific low back pain (LBP) some individuals fail to return to work. The factors leading to such LBP-related sickness absence are not yet fully understood. AIMS To identify individual resources, over and above the already established predictors, for preventing LBP-related sickness absence in a population-based sample of workers experiencing an episode of LB...

BACKGROUND Sickness absence is a growing public health problem in Norway and Denmark, with the highest absence rates being registered in Norway. We compared time trends in sickness absence patterns of municipal employees in the health and care sectors in Norway and Denmark. METHODS Data from 2004 to 2008 were extracted from the personnel registers of the municipalities of Kristiansand, Norway...

This study examined whether a group intervention focusing on building up preparedness for career management can prevent future sickness absence.Register-based data on the number of sickness absence days and sickness absence episodes were examined as outcomes of the intervention among 684 employees in 17 organizations in a randomized controlled trial. Sickness absence data were collected coverin...

OBJECTIVES To determine the value of using routinely collected sickness absence data as part of a health needs assessment of healthcare workers. METHOD Sickness absence records of almost 12900 NHS staff for one calendar year were analysed. Three measures of absence, the absence rate, the absence frequency rate, and the mean duration of absence, were assessed for the population and comparisons...

BACKGROUND Absence from work due to psychosocial health complaints has considerable negative effects for employees, employers and society. A better and more effective strategy would be early identification of employees at risk for psychosocial sickness absence and early intervention to prevent sickness absence as far as possible. AIMS To assess psychometric characteristics and the external va...

An adequate approach to sickness absence can reduce school dropout which is a major problem in Intermediate Vocational Education (IVE). This practice-based study explores the sickness absence reasons and factors influencing reporting the sickness, from a student's perspective. Semistructured interviews were held until saturation. Data were collected and analysed by a multidisciplinary research ...

BACKGROUND To date little is known regarding how factors measured in adolescence predict sickness absence in adulthood, and whether different patterns of factors exist for women and men that could contribute to an explanation of adult gender differences in sickness absence. METHODS All pupils in the last year of compulsory school in the municipality of Luleå with complete information from sur...