[Analysis of the length of sick leave in Andalusia. Associated factors].
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the length of sick leave (SL) and its associated factors in Andalusia.


METHODS
Descriptive observational study.


METHODS
Andalusia.


METHODS
A total of 1,633,405 sick leave forms issued from the 1st January 2002 to the 31st of December 2006 for any reason by Primary Health Care doctors in the Public Health Service, were analysed.


METHODS
Descriptive and bivariate analysis of SL health complaints and their length according to gender, rural or urban environment, Social Security scheme, diagnosis and reason for discharge. A model of multiple lineal regression was completed.


RESULTS
The overall incidence of SL was 15.83 health complaints per 100 Social Security members per year (14.73 in males and 17.24 in women). The most frequent diagnoses for the SL were, lower back pain and the common cold. The mean length of the SL health complaint episodes in men was lower than that of women by 7 days. The majority of the SL health complaints were resolved in less than one month (71.7%). The SL complaints that lasted longer were: endocrine diseases and immune disorders, neoplasms and mental disorders. The mean length of SL is higher in the rural environment (45.4) compared to urban (36.9). The variables that predict the length of sick leave in the model were gender, age and address location.


CONCLUSIONS
Different factors to the diagnosis have a large influence on the length of SL. The main variables that affect this are, age, gender and a rural environment.
Theurer
Esther Alvarez
EA
Unidad Médica Valoración de Incapacidades (UMVI), Inspección Provincial Córdoba, Consejería de Salud Junta de Andalucía, Córdoba, España. esther.alvarez@juntadeandalucia.es
Muñoz
Antonio Llergo
AL
Abellán
Manuel Vaquero
MV
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013030:Spain; D055815:Young Adult