title: Gender difference in sickness absence from work: a multiple mediation analysis of psychosocial factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous research has shown that job characteristics, private life and psychosocial factors partially account for gender difference in work absences because of sickness. Most studies have analysed these factors separately. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether these explanatory factors act as mediators when they are considered simultaneously.
  
  
  METHODS
  The evaluated data set comprises the merger of two Belgian longitudinal studies, BELSTRESS III and SOMSTRESS. It includes 3821 workers (1541 men) aged 21-66 years, employed in eight organizations. A multiple mediation analysis was performed to explain the higher prevalence among women. Estimated factors were occupational grade, total number of paid working hours per week, job strain, overcommitment, home-work interference and social support at and outside work. Prospective data concerning duration and frequency of medically justified sickness absence (registered by the organizations) were used as outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, the mediating factors partially account for gender difference in sickness absence. The strongest mediator for both outcomes is job strain. In addition, difference in absence duration is mediated by social support at work, whereas difference in frequency is mediated by professional grade and home-work interference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results call attention to the necessity to elaborate actual preventive actions aiming at favouring a better positioning of women on the labour market in term of hierarchical level as well as in terms of quality of work for reducing sickness absence in this group.
authors.affiliation: Université libre de Bruxelles, Social Approaches to Health Department, School of Public Health and FNRS, Bruxelles, Belgium. acasini@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casini
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Godin
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Clays
authors.forename: France
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kittel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000639:trends*; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D016526:Workload; D055815:Young Adult