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Sickness presenteeism in Spanish-born and immigrant workers in Spain
Andrés A Agudelo-Suárez1, Fernando G Benavides, Emily Felt
1Centre for Research in Occupational Health, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. oleduga@gmail.com
BMC Public Health
|December 31, 2010
Summary
Immigrant workers experience higher rates of sickness presenteeism, working while ill, compared to native-born workers. This is linked to precarious employment conditions and necessitates equal workplace health and safety standards.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Sociology of Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Previous research indicates immigrant workers face poorer working conditions and lower sickness absence rates than native-born workers.
- This study investigates sickness presenteeism (working while ill) among Spanish-born and foreign-born workers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess and compare sickness presenteeism rates between foreign-born and Spanish-born workers.
- To identify characteristics associated with higher sickness presenteeism in immigrant workers.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted in four Spanish cities (2008-2009) with 2,059 workers.
- Sickness presenteeism was defined as having health problems but not missing work.
- Logistic regression analyses were used, stratified by time spent in Spain for foreign-born workers.
Main Results:
- Foreign-born workers showed higher sickness presenteeism (56.3%) than Spanish-born workers (42%).
- Recent immigrants (≤2 years in Spain) had significantly higher presenteeism (aOR 1.77), particularly men, those with university degrees, temporary contracts, and lower salaries.
- Immigrant workers with good self-perceived health also reported higher presenteeism.
Conclusions:
- Immigrant workers exhibit greater sickness presenteeism, potentially due to precarious employment.
- Ensuring equal social security and workplace health and safety standards for immigrant workers is crucial.
- Addressing the working conditions of immigrant populations is essential for public health initiatives.
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