The fraction of long-term sickness absence attributable to work environmental factors: prospective results from the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the fraction of long-term sickness absence periods attributable to physical and psychosocial work environmental risk factors.


METHODS
A random population sample was followed for 18 months in a national register of social transfer payments. Mutually adjusted hazard ratios for onset of long-term sickness absence and aetiological fractions were computed.


RESULTS
After mutual adjustment, no significant effect of psychosocial work environment factors remained. In men, 23% and 28% of long-term sickness absence were attributable to working mainly standing or squatting, and lifting or carrying loads, respectively. In women, 27% of long-term sickness absence was attributable to bending or twisting of the neck or back.


CONCLUSIONS
Physical work environment exposures explained between 10% and 30% of long-term sickness absence. The potential for reducing long-term sickness absence is substantial.
Bang Christensen
Karl
K
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark. kbc@ami.dk
Lund
Thomas
T
Labriola
Merete
M
Villadsen
Ebbe
E
Bültmann
Ute
U
D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010146:Pain; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013995:Time; D013997:Time Factors; D017132:Workplace