title: Exploring the role of co-worker social support on health care utilization and sickness absence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the association of baseline co-worker social support with follow-up measures of health care use and sickness absence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained on 1240 employees from 33 worksites, through Promoting Activity and Changes in Eating, a group randomized weight maintenance trial. Co-worker social support, health care utilization, and absenteeism were assessed via a self-reported questionnaire. Generalized Estimating Equations were employed using STATA version 10.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher baseline co-worker social support was significantly associated with a greater number of doctors' visits (P = 0.015). Co-worker social support was unrelated to number of hospitalizations, emergency department visits, or absenteeism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relationship between co-worker social support and health care utilization and absenteeism is complex and uncertain. Future studies should measure more specific outcomes, incorporate important mediating variables, and distill how social networks influence these outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. sara_tamers@dfci.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Sara L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Tamers
authors.forename: Shirley A A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Beresford
authors.forename: Beti
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Yingye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Allen D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Cheadle
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires