Sickness absence poses a threat to the Swedish Welfare State: a cross-sectional study of sickness absence and self-reported illness

2007

Sickness Absence and Self-Reported Illness in Sweden

Sample size: 22281 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Jan Sundquist, Ahmad Al-Windi, Sven-Erik Johansson, Kristina Sundquist

Primary Institution: Karolinska Institutet

Hypothesis

Is there an association between sickness absence and self-reported reduced working capacity due to longstanding illness?

Conclusion

The study confirmed that longstanding illness leading to reduced working capacity is significantly related to the length of sickness absence.

Supporting Evidence

Those with more than 90 days of sickness absence had 19 times higher odds of reporting reduced working capacity.
48.7% of persons on sick leave for 29 days or more reported no longstanding illness.
Women took longer sick leave than men.
People with poor working environments reported higher rates of reduced working capacity.

Takeaway

If people are sick for a long time, they are more likely to say they can't work because of their illness. But many who are off work for a long time don't say they have a serious illness.

Methodology

The study used self-reported data from the Swedish Living Conditions Survey and linked it to sickness absence records from the National Social Insurance Board.