Work-related gender differences in physician-certified sick leave: a prospective study of the general working population in Norway

• Main Author: Tom Sterud
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH) 2014-07-01
• Series: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
• Subjects: sick leave; prospective study; gender; sickness absence; long-term sick leave; gender difference; workplace; norway; working population; physician-certified sick leave; work-related gender difference; mechanical process; risk factor; psychosocial factor
• Online Access: https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3427
• ISSN: 0355-3140; 1795-990X

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine gender differences in physician-certified sick leave and the extent to which these differences can be explained by work-related psychosocial and mechanical risk factors. METHODS: Randomly drawn from the general population in Norway, the cohort comprised working men and women aged 18–69 years (N=12 255, response rate at baseline = 60.9%). Eligible respondents were interviewed in 2009 and registered with an active employee relationship of ≥100 actual working days in 2009 and 2010 (N=3688 men and 3070 women). The study measured 11 work-related psychosocial factors and 11 mechanical exposures, and outcomes of interest were physician-certified general sick leave (GSL) >0 days and long-term sick leave (LTSL) ≥40 working days during 2010. RESULTS: Women reported a significantly higher level of exposure to 9 of the 11 psychosocial factors evaluated. For mechanical factors, the reporting was mixed. After controlling for age, educational level, sick leave during 2009, housework, working hours and family status, a 1.7-fold risk for GSL and LTSL were found among women. In comparison with the initial model, adjusting for psychosocial factors reduced the excess risk by 21% and 27% for GSL and LTSL, respectively. The total effect of mechanical factors was negligible. Differences between occupations held by women and men explained an additional one-tenth of the excess risk for LTSL among women. CONCLUSIONS: Work-related psychosocial factors contributed significantly to a higher level of GSL and LTSL among women. The most important factors were demands for hiding emotions, emotional demands, and effort–payment imbalance.