Prospective study of physical and psychosocial risk factors for sickness absence

To investigate the associations between psychosocial and physical work environment exposures and sickness absence from work taking into account health, health behaviour and employer characteristics known to affect sickness absence.

In 1995, a random sample of 5574 employees aged 18-64 years were interviewed. In 2000, 3792 of those still employed supplied data on days absent from work the year preceding the date of follow-up. Associations between risk factors at baseline and sickness absence at follow-up were studied. Logistic regression analyses were performed.

Sickness absence was associated with working with arms lifted/hands twisted, extreme bending/stooping of the back/neck, repetitive monotonous work, low skill discretion, low decision authority, obesity, current and former smoking, poor self-rated health, female gender, increasing age and public employer. The aetiological fraction attributable to differences in work environment exposures was calculated to be 40%.

The study suggests a potential for reducing sickness absence through multifactorial interventions towards smoking, obesity, physical and psychosocial work environment exposures. The study showed that differences in work environment exposures account for 40% of the cases of high sickness absence.