Dataset Information

Working conditions and compensated sickness absence among nurses and care assistants in Sweden during two decades: a cross-sectional biennial survey study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The aims of the study were to trace the patterns of work environment factors and compensated sickness absence (SA) among nurses and care assistants compared with other occupations and to compare SA among exposed and non-exposed nurses and care assistants.

Design

A cross-sectional survey on work environment factors based on the biennial Swedish Work Environment Surveys 1991-2013, linked to longitudinal register data on SA 1993-2014.

Participants

The study included 98?249 individuals, stratified into nurses and care assistants (n=16?179) and a reference population including all other occupations (n=82?070).

Outcome measure

Annual days of compensated SA (>14 days) 3?years after exposure years.

Results

Nurses and care assistants had higher SA in 1993-2014 compared with all other occupations, and differences in background factors only partly explained this relationship. For both groups, exposure to physical work factors remained steady, but the number of exposed were 10%-30%?higher among nurses and care assistants. Those exposed to heavy physical work and strenuous working postures had in most years significantly higher SA when compared with non-exposed (rate ratio range: 1.4-1.9). Exposure to high job demands increased 10%-25%?in 1991-1999 among nurses and care assistants but became more stable in 2001-2013 and high proportions of high job demands coincided with the increase in SA in 1995-1999. Nurses and care assistants exposed to high job demands had for most years significantly higher SA than non-exposed (rate ratio range: 1.5-2.1). Low job control and low support from supervisors elevated SA significantly only for a few years.

Conclusions

Exposure to negative work factors among nurses and care assistants was weakly associated with variations in SA, but may be related to their higher level of SA when compared with other occupations. Improved physical and psychosocial working conditions may reduce the elevated SA level in these occupations.

SUBMITTER: Marklund S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6858201 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Working conditions and compensated sickness absence among nurses and care assistants in Sweden during two decades: a cross-sectional biennial survey study.

Marklund Staffan S Gustafsson Klas K Aronsson Gunnar G Leineweber Constanze C Helgesson Magnus M

BMJ open 20191110 11

<h4>Objectives</h4>The aims of the study were to trace the patterns of work environment factors and compensated sickness absence (SA) among nurses and care assistants compared with other occupations and to compare SA among exposed and non-exposed nurses and care assistants.<h4>Design</h4>A cross-sectional survey on work environment factors based on the biennial Swedish Work Environment Surveys 1991-2013, linked to longitudinal register data on SA 1993-2014.<h4>Participants</h4>The study included ...[more]

PMID: 31712334

Similar Datasets

Project description:Objective: To analyze the associations between favorable physical and psychosocial work factors and health behavior among healthcare employees (nurses and care assistants) with health complaints. Methods: The study was based on seven iterations (2001-2013) of a biennial Swedish work environment survey linked with data from public registers. In all, 7,180 healthcare employees, aged 16-64 years, who had reported health complaints, were included. Health behavior was operationalized through four combinations of sickness absence (SA) and sickness presence (SP): 'good health behavior' (Low SP/Low SA), 'recovery behavior' (Low SP/High SA), 'risk behavior' (High SP/Low SA), and 'poor health behavior' (High SP/High SA). Odds ratios (OR) were calculated by multinomial logistic regression with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, those who rarely worked in strenuous postures had an increased probability of having 'good health behavior' (OR range: nurses 1.72-2.02; care assistants 1.46-1.75). Those who rarely experienced high job demands had increased odds for having 'good health behavior' (OR: nurses 1.81; OR range: care assistants 1.67-2.13), while having good job control was found to be related to 'good health behavior' only among care assistants (OR range 1.30-1.68). In the full model, after also considering differences in health, none of the work environment indicators affected 'good health behavior' among nursing professionals. Among care assistants, rarely having heavy physical work and having low psychosocial demands remained significantly associated with 'good health behavior' (OR range: 1.24-1.58) and 'recovery behavior' (OR range: 1.33-1.70). No associations were found between favorable work environment factors and 'risk behavior' among the two groups of employees. However, positive assessments of the work situation were associated with 'good health behavior,' even after controlling for all confounders for both groups (OR range: 1.43-2.69). Conclusions: 'Good health behavior' and 'recovery behavior' among care assistants were associated with favorable physical and psychosocial working conditions even when health was considered. This implies that reduced sickness presence and sickness absence among care assistants can be achieved through improved physical and psychosocial working conditions.

Dataset Information

Working conditions and compensated sickness absence among nurses and care assistants in Sweden during two decades: a cross-sectional biennial survey study.

Objectives

Design

Participants

Outcome measure

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Working conditions and compensated sickness absence among nurses and care assistants in Sweden during two decades: a cross-sectional biennial survey study.

Similar Datasets

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