Screening questionnaire Balansmeter proved successful in predicting future long-term sickness absence in office workers.
OBJECTIVE
To develop and validate a screening instrument to identify employees at high risk for future long-term sickness absence.


METHODS
The instrument was developed (n=5,601) and internally validated (n=3,383) through data analyses of the Maastricht Cohort Study, among a group of office workers not absent from work. External validation was performed in a cohort of 3,895 bank employees.


RESULTS
The screening instrument, Balansmeter, captures 34 questions on demographics, work environment, private situation, (mental) health, and sickness absence history. The Balansmeter showed good predictive values for future sickness absence (>28 days) in men (internal validation relative risk [RR] 4.69 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.74, 8.02]; external validation RR 3.90 [95% CI: 2.35, 6.45]) and women (internal validation RR 4.16 [95% CI: 2.05, 8.43]; external validation RR 2.62 [95% CI: 1.44, 4.77]).


CONCLUSIONS
It is possible to predict future sickness absence. The Balansmeter can be considered a valuable screening instrument.
Kant
I Jmert
IJ
Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, Care And Public Health Research Institute, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands. IJ.Kant@epid.unimaas.nl
Jansen
Nicole W H
NW
van Amelsvoort
Ludovic G P M
LG
Swaen
Gerard M H
GM
van Leusden
Rudy
R
Berkouwer
Ate
A
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000639:trends*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*