title: Relation between perceived health and sick leave in employees with a chronic illness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To improve work participation in individuals with a chronic illness, insight into the role of work-related factors in the association between health and sick leave is needed. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the contribution of work limitations, work characteristics, and work adjustments to the association between health and sick leave in employees with a chronic illness.
  
  
  METHODS
  All employees with a chronic illness, between 15 and 65 years of age (n = 7,748) were selected from The Netherlands Working Conditions Survey. The survey included questions about perceived health, working conditions, and sick leave. Block-wise multivariate linear regression analyses were performed and, in different blocks, limitations at work, work characteristics, and work adjustments were added to the model of perceived health status. Changes in regression coefficient (B) (%) were calculated for the total group and for sub-groups per chronic illness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When work limitations were added to the model, the B between health and sick leave decreased by 18% (5.0 to 4.1). Adding work characteristics did not decrease the association between health and sick leave, but the B between work limitations and sick leave decreased by 14%, (5.3 to 4.5). When work adjustments were added to the model, the Bs between sick leave and work limitations and work characteristics changed from 4.5 to 3.4 for work limitations and from 2.1 to 1.9 for temporary contract and from -0.8 to -1.0 for supervisor support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between health and sick leave was explained by limitations at work, work characteristics, and work adjustments. Paying more attention to work limitations, characteristics and adjustments offers opportunities to reduce the negative consequences of chronic illness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. crl.boot@vumc.nl
authors.forename: Cécile R L
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Boot
authors.forename: Lando L J
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Koppes
authors.forename: Seth N J
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: van den Bossche
authors.forename: Johannes R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Anema
authors.forename: Allard J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van der Beek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D003625:Data Collection; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010465:Perception; D018582:Sick Leave; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014937:Work