The impact of health behaviour on long term sickness absence: results from DWECS/DREAM

TY - JOUR

T1 - The impact of health behaviour on long term sickness absence: results from DWECS/DREAM

AU - Christensen, Karl B

AU - Lund, Thomas

AU - Labriola, Merete

AU - Bültmann, Ute

AU - Villadsen, Ebbe

N1 - Keywords: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Alcohol Drinking; Body Mass Index; Denmark; Female; Humans; Leisure Activities; Male; Middle Aged; Motor Activity; Occupational Health; Proportional Hazards Models; Registries; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Risk-Taking; Sick Leave; Smoking; Time Factors

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - Long term sickness absence (LTSA) is a major public health problem. We examined the impact of four, potentially modifiable, health behaviours, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, leisure time physical activity, and the associated variable of body mass index on the risk of subsequent LTSA. This was done by following a representative population sample of 5,020 Danish employees aged 18-69 for 18 months in a national register on social transfer payments. Risk estimates for onset of LTSA and etiologic fractions were computed. In women, ex-smokers and heavy smokers had an increased risk of LTSA of 1.61 and 2.05 respectively after adjustment for age, family status, socio economic status, school education, physical and psychosocial work environment exposures and diagnosed disease. In men, effect estimates were smaller and only borderline significant in the fully-adjusted model. The etiologic fraction of smoking was 17.4% in men and 25.5% in women.

AB - Long term sickness absence (LTSA) is a major public health problem. We examined the impact of four, potentially modifiable, health behaviours, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, leisure time physical activity, and the associated variable of body mass index on the risk of subsequent LTSA. This was done by following a representative population sample of 5,020 Danish employees aged 18-69 for 18 months in a national register on social transfer payments. Risk estimates for onset of LTSA and etiologic fractions were computed. In women, ex-smokers and heavy smokers had an increased risk of LTSA of 1.61 and 2.05 respectively after adjustment for age, family status, socio economic status, school education, physical and psychosocial work environment exposures and diagnosed disease. In men, effect estimates were smaller and only borderline significant in the fully-adjusted model. The etiologic fraction of smoking was 17.4% in men and 25.5% in women.

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 17485882

SN - 0019-8366

VL - 45

SP - 348

EP - 351

JO - Industrial Health

JF - Industrial Health

IS - 2

ER -