Psychosocial factors and work related sickness absence among permanent and non-permanent employees
- David Gimeno1,2,
- Fernando G Benavides1,
- Benjamin C Amick III2,3,4,
- Joan Benach1,
- José Miguel Martínez1
- 1Occupational Health Research Unit, Department of Experimental Sciences and Health, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- 2School of Public Health, University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, Houston, USA
- 3Texas Program for Society and Health, Rice University, Houston, USA
- 4Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Canada
- Correspondence to: Dr D Gimeno Occupational Health Research Unit, Department of Experimental Sciences and Health, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, C/Dr. Aiguader 80, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; david.gimenoupf.edu
- Accepted 23 February 2004
Abstract
Study objective: To examine the association between psychosocial work factors and work related sickness absence among permanent and non-permanent employees by sex.
Design: A cross sectional survey conducted in 2000 of a representative sample of the European Union total active population, aged 15 years and older. The independent variables were psychological job demands and job control as measures of psychosocial work environment, and work related sickness absence as the main outcome. Poisson regression models were used to compute sickness absence days’ rate ratios.
Setting: 15 countries of the European Union.
Participants: A sample of permanent (n = 12 875) and non-permanent (n = 1203) workers from the Third European Survey on Working Conditions.
Results: High psychological job demands, low job control, and high strain and passive work were associated with higher work related sickness absence. The risks were more pronounced in non-permanent compared with permanent employees and men compared with women.
Conclusions: This work extends previous research on employment contracts and sickness absence, suggesting different effects depending on psychosocial working conditions and sex.
- occupational health
- psychological job demands
- job control
- job strain
- temporary work
- self reported sickness absence
Footnotes
-
Funding: this work was partly funded by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Project 0156/contract 00-3030-85).
-
Conflicts of interest: none declared.
