TY - JOUR T1 - Work-related gender differences in physician-certified sick leave: a prospective study of the general working population in Norway JO - Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health PY - 2014/7VL - 40 IS - 4 SP - 361 EP - 369 AU - Sterud, Tom M3 - doi: 10.5271/sjweh.3427 UR - https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3427 KW - gender KW - gender difference KW - long-term sick leave KW - mechanical process KW - Norway KW - physician-certified sick leave KW - prospective study KW - psychosocial factor KW - risk factor KW - sick leave KW - sickness absence KW - sickness absence KW - work-related gender difference KW - working population KW - workplace N2 - '

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

SN - 0355-3140 ER -