Sickness Absence and Mortality in Civil Servants
Author Information
Author(s): Jenny Head, Jane E. Ferrie, Kristina Alexanderson, Hugo Westerlund, Jussi Vahtera, Mika Kivimäki
Primary Institution: University College London
Hypothesis
Does knowing the diagnosis for sickness absence improve prediction of mortality?
Conclusion
Diagnosis-specific sickness absence is associated with increased mortality, except for musculoskeletal disease.
Supporting Evidence
- Employees with medically certified sickness absence had a 1.7 times greater mortality risk than those without.
- Absences due to circulatory disease had a hazard ratio of 4.7 for mortality.
- Psychiatric absences were predictive of cancer mortality with a hazard ratio of 2.5.
Takeaway
If someone is sick for a long time, it can mean they might not live as long, especially if the sickness is serious. Knowing what made them sick can help doctors understand this better.
Methodology
This was a prospective cohort study using sickness absence records and mortality data from civil servants in London.
Potential Biases
The recorded diagnosis for a sickness absence may not cover all actual causes, and only one diagnosis is recorded for each sick leave.
Limitations
Some data on sickness absence diagnosis were missing in the early years, and small numbers of deaths in some diagnostic categories limit the findings.
Participant Demographics
Civil servants aged 35-55 years, with a response rate of 73%.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.03
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.3 to 2.1
Statistical Significance
p=0.03
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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