BACKGROUND Attempts to identify particular aspects of psychosocial work conditions as predictors of sickness absence remain inconclusive. A global measure has previously been suggested to be an efficient way to measure psychosocial work conditions in questionnaires. This paper investigates whether satisfaction with specific aspects of psychosocial work conditions explains sickness absence beyon...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine whether psychosocial work demands have a different impact on sickness absence and presenteeism in countries with a high vs. countries with a low Human Development Index (HDI). METHODS This article is based on an analysis of the fifth European Working Conditions Survey. We investigated single items as well as complex constructs and indices....

BACKGROUND It is unclear if objective selection of employees, for an intervention to prevent sickness absence, is more effective than subjective 'personal enlistment'. We hypothesize that objectively selected employees are 'at risk' for sickness absence and eligible to participate in the intervention program. METHODS The dispatch of 8603 screening instruments forms the starting point of the o...

The occurrence of myositis in a father and his daughter is reported. The daughter's illness resembled childhood dermatomyositis and progressed to systemic involvement and death less than four years from the onset of symptoms. In the case of the father the illness followed the course of adult polymyositis and there was little evidence of systemic involvement. The immunological and genetic signif...

BACKGROUND Understanding the reasons for the social gradient in sickness absence might provide an opportunity to reduce the general rates of sickness absence. The complete explanation for this social gradient still remains unclear and there is a need for studies using randomized working population samples. The main aim of the present study was to investigate if self-reported work ability could ...

We study the recruitment behaviour of Swedish employers using data from a stated choice experiment. In the experiment, the employers are first asked to describe an employee who recently and voluntarily left the firm and then to choose between two hypothetical applicants to invite to a job interview or to hire as a replacement for their previous employee. The two applicants differ with respect t...

OBJECTIVES To study the influence of change in self perceived psychosocial work characteristics on subsequent rates of sickness absence. METHODS Prospective cohort study of British civil service employees. Job control, job demands, and work social supports were measured in 1985/88 and in 1991/93. Analyses included 3817 British civil servants with sickness absence records at baseline (1985-89)...

OBJECTIVE Although sickness absence often is a process over time, most studies have treated the phenomenon as a discrete event and focused more on its causes than its consequences. We aimed to examine whether various patterns of previous long-term sickness absence were associated with current low perceived social support at work. METHOD This is a historical cohort study based on data from a p...

PURPOSE The aim of the study is to identify work-related determinants of return to work (RTW) of employees who are on long-term sickness absence. METHOD The study was based on a sample of 926 employees on sickness absence (maximum duration of 12 weeks). The employees filled out a baseline questionnaire and were subsequently followed until the 10th month after listing sick. Cox proportional ha...

Annual sickness absence rates in Great Britain since 1950 have been compared with similar measurements obtained from eight other countries. Frequency has tended to rise more than severity, indicating a shortening of the average length of a spell. The rise in British rates is not unique, and has been exceeded in Sweden, Holland, Italy, and West Germany. From the Swedish experience with self-cert...