[Incapacity to work in prehospital German emergency medical services staff]

The determination of incapacity to work is a central approach for analyses of absence due to sickness. Nevertheless, no data are yet available for incapacity to work and associated factors in the German prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) staff.

The aim of this analysis was to identify the proportion of EMS staff with at least one incapacity for work (AU) in the previous 12 months and associated factors.

This was a nationwide survey study with rescue workers. Factors associated with work disability were identified using multivariable logistic regression, calculating odds ratios (OR) and associated 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

Included in this analysis were 2298 employees of the German emergency medical services (female 42.6%, male 57.2%). Overall, 60.10% of female participants and 58.98% of male participants reported an incapacity for work in the previous 12 months. Incapacity for work was significantly associated with having a high school diploma (high school diploma: OR: 0.51, 95% CI 0.30; 0.88, p = 0.016; reference: secondary school diploma), working in a rural environment (OR: 0.65, 95% CI 0.50; 0.86, p = 0.003) or urban environment (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.53; 0.98, p = 0.037). Furthermore, hours worked per week (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00; 1.02, p = 0.003) and 5-< 10 years of service (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.04; 1.89, p = 0.025) were associated with higher odds of work disability. Neck and back pain, depression, osteoarthritis, and asthma in the previous 12 months also showed a significant association with work disability in the same time period.

This analysis shows that chronic diseases, educational attainment, area of assignment, years of service, and hours worked per week, among others, were associated with incapacity for work in the previous 12 months in German EMS staff.