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Precursors of repeated short-term sick-leave

An empirical review of some background, job and well-being characteristics

Jan Olof Hörnquist, Department of Community Medicine, Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Linköping, S-58185 Linköping, Sweden, Address for offprints Jan Olof Hörnqvist Dept of Community Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences University of Linköping S-58185 Linköping Sweden.

Margareta Zar

Margareta Zar, University College of Health Sciences, Box 1038, S-55111 Jönköping, Sweden

Birgit Hansson

Birgit Hansson, Department of Community Medicine, Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Linköping, S-58185 Linköping, Sweden

The aim of the study was to search for bivariate associations between on the one hand samples of background, job-related and well-being characteristics, and on the other hand longitudinally recorded sick-leave in individuals with repeated short-term sick-leave. Out of altogether 123 subjects included, 113 self-rated their well-being at the onset of, and 88 also after, a supportive programme. The well-being rating covered experience of treatment by other people, reservation, loneliness, inferiority, tension, vulnerability, guilt, security and indolence. Socio-demographic and job-related characteristics and attitudes were registered and declared at the initial contact. Correlations between these separate sets of independent variables, and sick-leave occasions and days in each of the two years following the contact were computed. There was an almost complete lack of covariation between background variables and sick-leave. Neither did job-related characteristics correlate. Only an expressed wish for a job change was vaguely associated with more absence days, but not with more spells. In striking contrast, a convincing consistent longitudinal pattern between self-rated well-being and sick-leave behaviour emerged. The poorer the well-being, the greater the subsequent sick-leave. Yet, a major part of the sick-leave variance remained unexplained. Accordingly, other etiological factors may still interact with well-being in the comprehensive setting behind the sick-leave behaviour. In conclusion, it is to be noticed that, the way the subject looks upon and describes himself as an independent individual and the interaction with his social environment, seems to have a certain bearing upon his future sick-leave behaviour in this context. The outcome of the study is corroborated by similar predictive correlations between well-being and working capacity previously found in alcohol abusers.

Key Words: Background • job-related characteristics • well-being and sick-absence

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 21, No. 3, 164-170 (1993)
DOI: 10.1177/140349489302100305


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