Occupational musculoskeletal and mental disorders as the most frequent associations to worker’s sickness absence: A 10-year cohort study

BMC Research Notes

Walter Manna Albertoni²  Vinícius Ynoe de Moraes²  João Carlos Belloti²  Antonio Carlos Zechinatti¹ 

[1] Divisão de Perícia Médica, Serviço Especializado em Saúde e Medicina do Trabalho - SESMT, Rua Mirassol, 315, Vila Clementino, São Paulo, SP, 04020-060, Brazil;Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo – Escola Paulista de Medicina, Rua Borges Lagoa, 783 - 5th Floor, São Paulo, Brazil

关键词: Brazil;    International classification of diseases;    Absenteeism;    Health personnel;    Occupational diseases;   

Others  :  1166439
DOI  :  10.1186/1756-0500-5-229

 received in 2011-06-02, accepted in 2012-04-27,  发布年份 2012

【 摘 要 】

Background

Sickness absence (SA) is a complex phenomenon influenced by the health of the worker and socio-economic factors. An epidemiological study of SA has never been conducted for Brazilian university workers. This study aimed to determine the main diseases that are associated with SA and find out the average length of SA duration, and its variation among different staff members and between sexes over the 10-year study period.

Methods

We identified the main diseases responsible for SA in workers at a Brazilian federal university (UNIFESP) from January 1998 to August 2008 and grouped them according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD10). Independent researchers assessed data collected from expert reports of the university Worker’s Health Division.

Results

During the period of our study, 1176 workers experienced sickness absence. After evaluating 7579 consultations, ICD10 distribution showed that musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders (“M” axis) and mental and behavioral diseases (“F” axis) were the most important causes of SA, occurring in 47.3% (IC 95%; 44.15-49.8) of workers aged 46.2 (SD 10.1) years. Female workers represented 78.1% (IC 95%; 76-80.7) of all workers with SA, but men had higher proportional rates (Chi-square; p = 0.044). Longer SA periods were observed for illnesses related to neoplasms and infectious diseases.

Conclusions

Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders and mental and behavioral diseases were the most frequent cause of sickness absence. Men had an increased frequency of SA, and neoplasms and infectious disorders were associated with longer absences. Mostly, these are occupational disorders. A preventative research-focused agenda is desirable for a more accurate depiction of this population in the scope of policy-making. Our results for SA in Brazilian workers correspond with those of other studies worldwide.

【 授权许可】

   
2012 Zechinatti et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 参考文献 】

• [1]Sterling TD, Collett C, Rumel D: Epidemiology of "sick buildings". Rev Saude Publica 1991, 25(1):56-63.
• [2]Jeffery RW, Forster JL, Dunn BV, French SA, McGovern PG, Lando HA: Effects of work-site health promotion on illness-related absenteeism. J Occup Med 1993, 35(11):1142-1146.
• [3]Luz J, Green MS: Sickness absenteeism from work–a critical review of the literature. Public Health Rev 1997, 25(2):89-122.
• [4]Adler DA, McLaughlin TJ, Rogers WH, Chang H, Lapitsky L, Lerner D: Job performance deficits due to depression. Am J Psychiatry 2006, 163(9):1569-1576.
• [5]Duijts SF, Kant I, Swaen GM, van den Brandt PA, Zeegers MP: A meta-analysis of observational studies identifies predictors of sickness absence. J Clin Epidemiol 2007, 60(11):1105-1115.
• [6]Ihlebaek C, Brage S, Eriksen HR: Health complaints and sickness absence in Norway, 1996-2003. Occup Med (Lond) 2007, 57(1):43-49.
• [7]Johansen K, Bihrmann K, Mikkelsen S, Lynge E: Trends in sickness absence in Denmark. Scand J Work Env Health 2009, 35(5):334-341.
• [8]Koopmans PC, Roelen CA, Groothoff JW: Sickness absence due to depressive symptoms. Int Arch Occup Env Health 2008, 81(6):711-719.
• [9]van Dijk FJ, Prins R: Occupational health care and work incapacity: recent developments in The Netherlands. Occup Med (Lond) 1995, 45(3):159-166.
• [10]Law F, Brasil: Lei n° 8112, de 11 de dezembro de 1990. In Dispõe sobre o regime jurídico dos servidores públicos civis da União, das autarquias e das fundações públicas federais. Edited by Brasilerio . Brasília (DF): DOdRFdBCS; 1991.
• [11]World Health Organization: The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1992:50-51.
• [12]Moraes VY, Belloti JC, Moraes FY, Galbiatti JA, Palacio EP, Gomes dos Santos JB, Faloppa F: Hierarchy of evidence relating to hand surgery in Brazilian orthopedic journals. Sao Paulo Med J 2011, 129(2):94-98.
• [13]Alavinia SM, van den Berg TI, van Duivenbooden C, Elders LA, Burdorf A: Impact of work-related factors, lifestyle, and work ability on sickness absence among Dutch construction workers. Scand J Work Env Health 2009, 35(5):325-333.
• [14]Barboza DB, Soler ZA: Nursing absenteeism: experience with workers at a teaching hospital. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem 2003, 11(2):177-183.
• [15]da Silva DM, Marziale MH: Absenteeism of nursing workers at a university hospital. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem 2000, 8(5):44-51.
• [16]Fonseca VR, Nobre MR, Pronk NP, Santos LA: The association between physical activity, productivity, and health care utilization among employees in Brazil. J Occup Env Med 2010, 52(7):706-712.
• [17]Sala A, Carro AR, Correa AN, Seixas PH: Sick leave among employees of the Sao Paulo State Health Department, Brazil, 2004. Cad Saude Publ 2009, 25(10):2168-2178.
• [18]Silva LS, Pinheiro TM, Sakurai E: Absenteeism profile in a state bank in Minas Gerais between 1998-2003. Cien Saude Colet 2008, 13(Suppl 2):2049-2058.
• [19]Sundquist J, Al-Windi A, Johansson S-E, Sundquist K: Sickness absence poses a threat to the Swedish Welfare State: a cross-sectional study of sickness absence and self-reported illness. BMC Publ Health 2007, 7(1):45. BioMed Central Full Text
• [20]Sundquist J, Ostergren P, Sundquist K, Johansson S: Psychosocial working conditions and self-reported long-term illness: a population-based study of Swedish-born and foreign-born employed persons. Ethn Health 2003, 8(4):307-317.
• [21]Alves M: Absenteeism of hospital nursing personnel. Rev Gaucha Enferm 1994, 15(1–2):71-75.
• [22]Sala A, Carro ARL, Correa AN, Seixas PHDÇ: Licenças médicas entre trabalhadores da Secretaria de Estado da Saude de Sao Paulo no ano de 2004. Cadernos de Saude Publica 2009, 25:2168-2178.
• [23]Verbeek J: Evidence-based occupational health and the Cochrane Collaboration, an introduction. Int Congr Ser 2006, 1294:3-6.
• [24]Kivimaki M, Head J, Ferrie J, Shipley M, Vahtera J, Marmot M: Sickness absence as a global measure of health: evidence from mortality in the Whitehall II prospective cohort study. BMJ 2003, 327(7411):364.
• [25]Marmot M, Feeney A, Shipley M, North F, Syme S: Sickness absence as a measure of health status and functioning: from the UK Whitehall II study. J Epidemiol Comm Health 1995, 49(2):124-130.
• [26]Rael E, Stansfeld S, Shipley M, Head J, Feeney A, Marmot M: Sickness absence in the Whitehall II study, London: the role of social support and material problems. J Epidemiol Comm Health 1995, 49(5):474-481.
• [27]Kivimaki M, Head J, Ferrie JE, Singh-Manoux A, Westerlund H, Vahtera J, Leclerc A, Melchior M, Chevalier A, Alexanderson K, et al.: Sickness absence as a prognostic marker for common chronic conditions: analysis of mortality in the GAZEL study. Occup Env Med 2008, 65(12):820-826.