Abstract
BackgroundSickness 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.MethodsWe 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.ResultsDuring 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.ConclusionsMusculoskeletal 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.
Highlights
Sickness absence (SA) is a complex phenomenon influenced by the health of the worker and socio-economic factors
In this study we evaluated causes of absenteeism within a population of workers based at a federal university and focused our analysis on assessments provided by the workers’ health division (WHD), which granted sick-leave requests upon the recommendation of a medical expert
Study variables The goal of this study was to verify the diagnoses that lead to the absenteeism of workers, to calculate the average time of SA according to ICD10, and to determine the correlation of SA with gender and professional activities
Summary
Sickness absence (SA) is a complex phenomenon influenced by the health of the worker and socio-economic factors. Epidemiological patterns of absenteeism have recently shifted, showing an increase in psychosocial disorders in contrast to a decreasing, but still frequent, incidence of musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases, especially in countries of the European Union. This shift in the epidemiological profile of SA raises concern for public and private institutions, since SA significantly impacts budgets and contributes to the deterioration of employee health [3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. Besides of its established evidence - recognized mostly in European countries, this shift was not recognized or studied in Brazil
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