[The effect of social and biological factors on work disability in an industrial population]

The authors analyze the influence of various factors on the work absenteeism in an industrial population. The work absenteeism changes significantly with age. Short, frequent incapacities, in particular on account of respiratory diseases, are typical for young age (approximately under 25 years). Least numbers of sickness days per year were recorded in workers in the fourth decade of life. Absenteeism on account of cardiovascular disease rises with age. The total work absenteeism is higher in manual workers, as compared with administrative workers and higher in women than in men. The differences depend also on the mean monthly income--the lowest rate of work absenteeism was recorded in people with a gross income above 4,500 Kcs. The influence of these factors in such that it is not possible to detect a relationship between work incapacity and biological factors, e.g. blood pressure, body weight, lipidogram, blood sugar level and others. It is beyond doubt, however, that the morbidity and mortality rate from non-infectious diseases depend on these factors. The causes of work incapacity are complex and are mostly influenced by circumstances beyond the health services.