Role In Absenteeism Research Articles

Psychosocial job factors and symptoms from the locomotor system--a multicausal analysis

The effects of physical and psychosocial work environment factors on emotions, psychosomatic and endocrine (cortisol and testosterone) states, back pain, symptoms of degenerative joint disease, and absenteeism for sickness, were studied in 147 men and 60 women in six occupations representing widely different physical and psychological activities. In most subjects, measurements were carried out twice to four times over one year. Statistical analyses were performed of the associations between different factor levels, such as age, gender, height, body mass index, and physical stressors at work. It was found that psychological work demands were associated with physiological indicators of strain (plasma cortisol and self-reported muscle tension) and that self-reported muscle tension was associated with several emotional reactions as well as with symptoms from the back, neck and shoulders. Little possibility for decision-making was associated with a high rate of absenteeism for sickness. In men, a high plasma testosterone level was associated with self-reported muscle tension. The results indicate that work environment factors influence mood, bodily tension and somatic symptoms, but that load on the locomotor system and opportunity to influence decisions play an important and more direct role in absenteeism for sickness

The role of absenteeism in the prediction of math achievement on the basis of self-concept and motivation: TIMSS 2015 in Serbia

This study examines how students? absenteeism moderates the relationship of math self-concept and motivation to learn math on one side and the achievement in the TIMSS 2015 math test on the other. The stratified random sample consists of 4036 fourth grade pupils from 160 primary schools in Serbia. Separate regression models were made for four levels of frequency of students? absenteeism. The results show that self-concept makes a positive contribution to the prediction of achievement, and motivation a negative one. Additionally, with the increase of absenteeism the importance of self-concept drops and that of motivation grows. The analysis of variance confirmed that along with the increase of absenteeism, students express lower levels of self-concept, while the level of motivation does not change. The most important conclusion is that regular class attendance contributes to the students? math self-concept and consequential achievement by developing their experiences of success in math. The usefulness of the motivation scale for predicting math test performance is discussed.

A survey of absenteeism on construction sites

PurposeThe construction industry is dynamic and often unregulated due to its complex, project-based nature. This makes the task of implementing human resource management (HRM) functions more difficult than in other economic sectors. This is particularly the case for developing countries which rely on a migrant, casual, and transient workforce. Despite offering flexibility, a transient workforce can lead to unpredictable rates of absenteeism and unsatisfactory productivity. This paper links HRM practices in the construction industry of the developing world to rates of absenteeism across three segments of the construction workforce – foremen, skilled workers, and unskilled workers. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachA survey targeting 60 construction sites in Beirut, Lebanon form the basis of the analysis. Within each site, measures of absenteeism for foremen, skilled, and unskilled workers were solicited along with other data on HRM onsite.FindingsThe results suggest a regression model for worker absenteeism based on tenure of work as well as the absenteeism of workers at the next hierarchical level onsite.Originality/valueThis study is among the first to show a link between the mechanisms by which construction workers are employed (contract-based foremen vs daily/weekly labourers – both skilled and unskilled) and the rate of absenteeism seen onsite. Given the role of absenteeism in construction productivity, having a good understanding of the underlying causes of absenteeism is critical to the design of mitigating policies.

Students’ perception of traditional teaching- learning process in Physiology. An insight to study Absenteeism in medical students

Background: Worldwide there is a major concern on students’ absenteeism for university education. Professional course like medicine requires high attendance by students. The undergraduate medical education should produce physicians with adequate knowledge of health and disease, reasonable medical skills and a healthy attitude towards patients and their families. With this background the study is conducted to know the causes of absenteeism among students, their experiences and perceptions regarding ongoing teaching learning educational programme. Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study using a pretested self-administered structured questionnaire to 140 first professional MBBS course students. The pre validated questionnaire was pertaining to reasons for absenteeism, teaching learning methods, process of evaluation, mainly in respect to students’ experiences and their perception. The attendance and marks were taken from available database. The data were entered and analysed by using SPSS15 software version. Results: Students favoured interactive lectures (84%), shorter duration (70%), Self-Study, (45%) and clinical orientation (68%). They appreciated audiovisual aids (95%) applied physiology, (85%) frequent evaluation, (54%). Qualities highly rated in a teacher were teaching skills, knowledge and approachability. Absenteeism was largely attributed to tiring schedule, monotonous teaching style and priority to self-study. Conclusion: Students preferred self-directed learning, short lectures, and use of multimedia, interactions and clinical orientation. Students as well as the teacher attribute, teaching methodologies play a role in absenteeism. Optimum utilization of teaching hours with learner oriented teaching approach and adapting newer teaching technologies may reduce the absenteeism and enhance the educational Programme effectively.

The impact of delays on maternal and neonatal outcomes in Ugandan public health facilities: the role of absenteeism.

Maternal mortality in low- and middle-income countries continues to remain high. The Ugandan Ministry of Health’s Strategic Plan suggests that little, if any, progress has been made in Uganda in terms of improvements in Maternal Health [Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5] and, more specifically, in reducing maternal mortality. Furthermore, the UNDP report on the MDGs describes Uganda’s progress as ‘stagnant’. The importance of understanding the impact of delays on maternal and neonatal outcomes in low resource settings has been established for some time. Indeed, the ‘3-delays’ model has exposed the need for holistic multi-disciplinary approaches focused on systems change as much as clinical input. The model exposes the contribution of social factors shaping individual agency and care-seeking behaviour. It also identifies complex access issues which, when combined with the lack of timely and adequate care at referral facilities, contributes to extensive and damaging delays. It would be hard to find a piece of research on this topic that does not reference human resource factors or ‘staff shortages’ as a key component of this ‘puzzle’. Having said that, it is rare indeed to see these human resource factors explored in any detail. In the absence of detailed critique (implicit) ‘common sense’ presumptions prevail: namely that the economic conditions at national level lead to inadequacies in the supply of suitably qualified health professionals exacerbated by losses to international emigration. Eight years’ experience of action-research interventions in Uganda combining a range of methods has lead us to a rather stark conclusion: the single most important factor contributing to delays and associated adverse outcomes for mothers and babies in Uganda is the failure of doctors to be present at work during contracted hours. Failure to acknowledge and respond to this sensitive problem will ultimately undermine all other interventions including professional voluntarism which relies on local ‘co-presence’ to be effective. Important steps forward could be achieved within the current resource framework, if the political will existed. International NGOs have exacerbated this problem encouraging forms of internal ‘brain drain’ particularly among doctors. Arguably the system as it is rewards doctors for non-compliance resulting in massive resource inefficiencies.

Workplace Discrimination Is Associated With Alcohol Abuse Among Ethnically Diverse Hospital Staff.

Research suggests that workplace discrimination plays a role in absenteeism, productivity, and turnover. A link among workplace discrimination, mental health, and health disparities may also exist. The purpose of this study was to determine whether self-reported workplace discrimination is associated with alcohol abuse among hospital workers. Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data collected from a prospective cohort study of workers in two healthcare institutions (n = 664) was conducted. Workplace discrimination in the previous 12 months was reported by 14% (n = 91) of participants who were four times more likely to score higher on likely alcohol abuse than their peers. White participants who reported any discrimination were more likely to score higher on likely alcohol abuse than racial/ethnic minority participants who reported any discrimination. Given a diversifying workforce, further research is needed on how workplace discrimination contributes to stress and maladaptive coping, and ultimately health disparities.

Organizational diversity programs across cultures: effects on absenteeism, turnover, performance and innovation

This study examined data from over 5000 organizations in 22 countries to address three complementary issues: (1) the influence of national culture on the adoption of diversity programs aimed at recruiting, training and promoting individuals from specific target groups; (2) the moderating effect of national cultural practices on the relationship between these diversity programs and the organizational outcomes of absenteeism and turnover; and (3) the mediating effect of absenteeism and turnover on the relationship between diversity programs and organizational performance and innovation. National cultural values and practices were taken from the GLOBE study and assigned respectively to the organizations in our sample. A multilevel path analysis supported the hypothesized effects of national cultural values on organizational diversity programs. Moreover, cultural practices were found to moderate the relationship between diversity programs and absenteeism and turnover. Our hypotheses on the role of absenteeism and turnover as mediators of the relationship between diversity programs and organizational performance and innovation were also supported. Our findings may help guide managers' decisions on the adoption of diversity programs in units operating in different national cultures. We discuss the implications of our findings for scholars and practitioners concerned with diversity management issues in a global context.

Absenteeism among medical and health science undergraduate students at Hawassa University, Ethiopia.

BackgroundStudent absenteeism is a major concern for university education worldwide. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and causes of absenteeism among undergraduate medical and health sciences students at Hawassa University.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study using a pretested self-administered structured questionnaire from May-June 2013. The primary outcome indicator was self-reported absenteeism from lectures in the semester preceding the study period. The study included all regular undergraduate students who were enrolled in the University for at least one semester. The data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20. The association between class absenteeism and socio-demographic and behavioral correlates of absenteeism was determined by bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results were reported as crude odds ratios (COR), adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).Results1200 students consented and filled the questionnaire. Of these students, 43.7% had missed three or more lectures and 14.1% (95% CI = 12.2-16.2) missed more than 8 lectures in the preceding semester. There was a significant association between missing more than 8 lectures and age of students, chosen discipline (medicine), and social drug use. The main reasons reported for missing lectures were preparing for another examination, lack of interest, lecturer’s teaching style, and availability of lecture material.ConclusionAt Hawassa University College of Medicine and Health Science student habits and teacher performance play a role in absenteeism from lectures. A university culture that promotes discipline and integrity especially among medical and older students discourages social drug use will likely improve motivation and attendance. Training in teaching methodologies to improve the quality and delivery of lectures should also help increase attendance.

Avaliação de instrumento de detecção de problemas relacionados ao uso do álcool (CAGE) entre trabalhadores da prefeitura do campus da Universidade de São Paulo (USP) - campus capital

Alcohol intake may play a significant role in absenteeism, delays and accidents at the workplace. However, its detection is limited by difficulties of both patients and physicians regarding the subject. The CAGE questionnaire may be an easy, fast and non intimidative alternative to detect alcohol-related problems (ARP). To evaluate the validity coefficients of the CAGE (sensitivity, Sen; specificity, Spec; positive predictive value, PPV, and the area under the ROC curve--AUC) among employees of the Campus of the University of Sao Paulo using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, SCID 2.0. A random 203-worker sample was selected to be surveyed with a socio-demographic questionnaire followed by the CAGE questions and the SCID 2.0. CAGE validity coefficients were analyzed according to the SCID 2.0 results for alcohol abuse and dependence, while sociodemographic data were analyzed by the chi-square test. Among 192 interviewed workers, the prevalence of the CAGE-positive was 19.8%. Validity coefficients results were for ARP: Sen=84.4%, Spec=93.1%, PPV=71.1% and AUC=0.88 (p<0.01); and for alcohol dependence: Sen=91.3%, Spec=89.9%, PPV=55.3% and AUC=0.90 (p<0.01). There were significant associations between CAGE-positive and the following characteristics: 1) age (61 years or more, p=0.04), 2) male gender (p=0.01) and 3) blue color occupations (p=0.02). The PPV of the CAGE suggested its better performance in screening ARP (abuse and dependence) than only alcohol dependence. The association with age and sex could be related to limitations of the questionnaire. Blue color occupations could indicate a risk factor for ARP. The CAGE was considered valid for the screening of ARP at the workplace.

Psychosocial job factors and symptoms from the locomotor system--a multicausal analysis

The effects of physical and psychosocial work environment factors on emotions, psychosomatic and endocrine (cortisol and testosterone) states, back pain, symptoms of degenerative joint disease, and absenteeism for sickness, were studied in 147 men and 60 women in six occupations representing widely different physical and psychological activities. In most subjects, measurements were carried out twice to four times over one year. Statistical analyses were performed of the associations between different factor levels, such as age, gender, height, body mass index, and physical stressors at work. It was found that psychological work demands were associated with physiological indicators of strain (plasma cortisol and self-reported muscle tension) and that self-reported muscle tension was associated with several emotional reactions as well as with symptoms from the back, neck and shoulders. Little possibility for decision-making was associated with a high rate of absenteeism for sickness. In men, a high plasma testosterone level was associated with self-reported muscle tension. The results indicate that work environment factors influence mood, bodily tension and somatic symptoms, but that load on the locomotor system and opportunity to influence decisions play an important and more direct role in absenteeism for sickness.

Investigating behavioral antecedents of turnover at three job tenure levels.

A field study was conducted to investigate differences between hourly assembly operators who stayed and hourly assembly operators who voluntarily quit their jobs. A total of 80 stayers and 121 leavers were identified from personnel records and were classified into one of three job tenure groups, 25 months, 6-12 months, and more than 12 months. Job performance, attendance measures, and biographical variables were used to predict turnover for each job tenure group. Results indicated poorer performance by leavers with 6-12 months tenure compared with stayers. No differences in performance or attendance were obtained between stayers and leavers with between 2-5 months and those with more than 12-months job tenure. Leavers after 6 and before 12 months demonstrated more absenteeism compared with stayers. Implications for the role of absenteeism and constraints on the performance-retention relation are discussed.