Occup Environ Med 2001;58:361-366 ( June )

Sickness absence in hospital physicians: 2 year follow up study on determinants

M Kivimäki^{a d}, R Sutinen^b, M Elovainio^c, J Vahtera^d, K Räsänen^d, S Töyry^d, J E Ferrie^e, J Firth-Cozens^f

^a University of Helsinki, Department of Psychology, Division of Applied Psychology, PO Box 13, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland, ^b Vaasa Central Hospital, Vaasa, Finland, ^c National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Helsinki, Finland, ^d Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Turku and Kuopio, Finland, ^e University College London Medical School, London, UK, ^f University of Northumbria at Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Correspondence to: Dr M Kivimäki mika.kivimaki{at}occuphealth.fi Accepted 9 February 2001

OBJECTIVESTo identify determinants of sickness absence in hospital physicians.
METHODSThe Poisson regression analyses of short (1-3 days) and long (>3 days) recorded spells of sickness absence relating to potential determinants of sickness absence were based on a 2 year follow up period and cohorts of 447 (251 male and 196 female) physicians and 466 controls (female head nurses and ward sisters).
RESULTSThere were no differences in health outcomes, self rated health status, prevalence of chronic illness, and being a case on the general health questionnaire (GHQ), between the groups but physicians took one third to a half the sick leave of controls. All the health outcomes were strongly associated with sickness absence in both groups. Of work related factors, teamwork had the greatest effect on sickness absence in physicians but not in the controls. Physicians working in poorly functioning teams were at 1.8 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.3 to 3.0) times greater risk of taking long spells than physicians working in well functioning teams. Risks related to overload, heavy on call responsibility, poor job control, social circumstances outside the workplace, and health behaviours were smaller.
CONCLUSIONThis is the first study of hospital physicians to show the association between recorded sickness absence and factors across various areas of life. In this occupational group, sickness absence is strongly associated with health problems, and the threshold for taking sick leave is high. Poor teamwork seems to contribute to the sickness absenteeism of hospital physicians even more than traditional psychosocial riskssuch as overload and low job control. These findings may have implications for training and health promotion in hospitals.


Keywords: health care personnel; occupational health; psychosocial factors

---

© 2001 by Occupational and Environmental Medicine
CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Virtanen, M., Kivimaki, M., Luopa, P., Vahtera, J., Elovainio, M., Jokela, J., Pietikainen, M. (2009). Staff reports of psychosocial climate at school and adolescents' health, truancy and health education in Finland. Eur J Public Health 0: ckp032v1-ckp032 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ro, K. E I., Gude, T., Tyssen, R., Aasland, O. G (2008). Counselling for burnout in Norwegian doctors: one year cohort study. BMJ 337: a2004-a2004 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Heponiemi, T., Kouvonen, A., Vanska, J., Halila, H., Sinervo, T., Kivimaki, M., Elovainio, M. (2008). Health, psychosocial factors and retirement intentions among Finnish physicians. Occup Med (Lond) 58: 406-412 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Patton, E., Johns, G. (2007). Women's absenteeism in the popular press: Evidence for a gender-specific absence culture. Human Relations 60: 1579-1612 [Abstract]  
• Cunningham, C., Flynn, T., Blake, C. (2006). Low back pain and occupation among Irish health service workers. Occup Med (Lond) 56: 447-454 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vaananen, A, Pahkin, K, Huuhtanen, P, Kivimaki, M, Vahtera, J, Theorell, T, Kalimo, R (2005). Are intrinsic motivational factors of work associated with functional incapacity similarly regardless of the country?. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 59: 858-863 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Allebeck, P., Mastekaasa, A. (2004). Chapter 5. Risk factors for sick leave - general studies. Scand J Public Health 32: 49-108 [Abstract]  
• Firth-Cozens, J, Cording, H (2004). What matters more in patient care? Giving doctors shorter hours of work or a good night's sleep?. Qual Saf Health Care 13: 165-166 [Full Text]  
• (2003). Minerva. BMJ 327: E261-261 [Full Text]  
• Bower, P, Campbell, S, Bojke, C, Sibbald, B (2003). Team structure, team climate and the quality of care in primary care: an observational study. Qual Saf Health Care 12: 273-279 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Melchior, M, Niedhammer, I, Berkman, L F, Goldberg, M (2003). Do psychosocial work factors and social relations exert independent effects on sickness absence? A six year prospective study of the GAZEL cohort. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 57: 285-293 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• van Amelsvoort, L G P M, Kant, I J, Beurskens, A J H M, Schroer, C A P, Swaen, G M H (2002). Fatigue as a predictor of work disability. Occup. Environ. Med. 59: 712-713 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sutinen, R., Kivimaki, M., Elovainio, M., Virtanen, M. (2002). Organizational fairness and psychological distress in hospital physicians. Scand J Public Health 30: 209-215 [Abstract]  
• Murphy, I J, Kivimaki, M (2002). Sickness absence in doctors * Author's reply. Occup. Environ. Med. 59: 201-201 [Full Text]  

eLetters:

Read all eLetters

Sickness absence in doctors

Ian J Murphy

Occup Environ Med Online, 14 Aug 2001 [Full text]

Re: Sickness absence in doctors

Mika Kivimaki

Occup Environ Med Online, 27 Sep 2001 [Full text]