title: How to measure sickness absence? Literature review and suggestion of five basic measures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine different sick-leave measures used in sickness absence research, and to suggest a systematic way of assessing sickness absence.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review and analysis of five major studies on sick-leave performed 1983-1988 with an epidemiological approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Terminology and measures used varied in the different studies reviewed. The choice of a certain measure was seldom discussed in relation to the aim of the study. Based on the review five measures are suggested: frequency, length, incidence rate, cumulative incidence and duration. The definition of incidence rate is new and is a measure useful in studies of recurrent events within epidemiology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have reviewed sick-leave measures previously used in the literature and suggested five basic measures for assessing sick-leave.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Environment, Linköping University, Sweden.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hensing
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alexanderson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Allebeck
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bjurulf
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D012008:Recurrence; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*