title: The effect of occupational and workplace gender composition on sickness absence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether gender composition of the occupation or the workplace is associated with sickness absence, whether the gender composition accounts for the observed female excess in sickness absence, and whether gender composition explains variation in sickness absence rates between occupations and workplaces.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random effects models conducted among Helsinki employees (N = 36,395).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women and men working in women-dominated occupations and workplaces had more short-term (1 to 3 days') sickness absence. Gender composition of the occupation and the workplace partly explained gender differences in short-term but not in intermediate (4 to 14 days') and long-term (>2 weeks') absence. Gender composition also explained variation in short-term sickness absence among occupations and workplaces, but this was partly accounted for by social class, income, and job contract type.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results are consistent with the assumption that short-term sickness absence reflects cultures and norms shaping sickness absence behavior.
authors.affiliation: Hjelt Institute, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. mikko.t.laaksonen@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laaksonen
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martikainen
authors.forename: Ossi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rahkonen
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lahelma
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors