title: The course of work absenteeism involving neck pain: a cohort study of Ontario lost-time claimants.
abstract: METHODS
  Cohort study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the course of lost-time claims involving neck pain in workers compensated by the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of neck pain in workers varies from 27.1% to 47.8%. Very little is known about the course of work absenteeism related to neck pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our cohort included 5761 injured workers with an incident lost-time claim to the WSIB in 1997 and 1998. Claimants were followed for 2 years. We measured the cumulative time on lost-time benefits using the Kaplan-Meier method and described the number and duration of episodes on benefits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median cumulative time-on-benefits for the cohort was 13 days (95% CI: 13-14). The cumulative time on benefits was shorter for men than women and for younger than older workers. 14.2% of claimants experienced multiple episodes of work absenteeism during the 2 years after the initial claim. The median time on benefits for claimants with a single episode was 11 days (95% CI: 10-11). The median length of the first episode on benefits was longer for claimants with multiple episodes (19-22 days) compared with those with a single episode (11 days). Age was positively associated with longer time-on-benefits in claimants with a single episode of work absenteeism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most injured workers who make a workers' compensation claim that involves neck pain do not make a second claim in the subsequent 2 years. However, an important minority (14.2%) experience multiple episodes of work absenteeism and these workers accrue 40.4% of all lost-time days. Recurrent claims involving neck pain represent a significant burden of disability in Ontario.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Work & Health † Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada. dvaneerd@iwh.on.ca
authors.forename: Dwayne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Eerd
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Côté
authors.forename: Vicki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kristman
authors.forename: Mana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rezai
authors.forename: Sheilah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hogg-Johnson
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vidmar
authors.forename: Dorcas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beaton
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*