SHORT REPORT

The fraction of long-term sickness absence attributable to work environmental factors: prospective results from the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study

Karl Bang Christensen, Thomas Lund, Merete Labriola, Ebbe Villadsen, Ute Bültmann

National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
K B Christensen
National Institute of Occupational Health, Lerso Parkalle 105, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark; kbc{at}ami.dk

Objective: To examine the fraction of long-term sickness absence periods attributable to physical and psychosocial work environmental risk factors.

Method: A random population sample was followed for 18 months in a national register of social transfer payments. Mutually adjusted hazard ratios for onset of long-term sickness absence and aetiological fractions were computed.

Results: After mutual adjustment, no significant effect of psychosocial work environment factors remained. In men, 23% and 28% of long-term sickness absence were attributable to working mainly standing or squatting, and lifting or carrying loads, respectively. In women, 27% of long-term sickness absence was attributable to bending or twisting of the neck or back.

Conclusions: Physical work environment exposures explained between 10% and 30% of long-term sickness absence. The potential for reducing long-term sickness absence is substantial.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Lund, T., Christensen, K. B., Vaez, M., Labriola, M., Josephson, M., Villadsen, E., Voss, M. (2009). Differences in sickness absence in Sweden and Denmark: the cross national HAKNAK study. Eur J Public Health 19: 343-349 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Henderson, M., Hotopf, M., Leon, D. A. (2009). Childhood temperament and long-term sickness absence in adult life. Br. J. Psychiatry 194: 220-223 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Saastamoinen, P, Laaksonen, M, Lahelma, E, Leino-Arjas, P (2009). The effect of pain on sickness absence among middle-aged municipal employees. Occup. Environ. Med. 66: 131-136 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Loomis, D. (2007). Work in brief. Occup. Environ. Med. 64: 429-429 [Full Text]