title: Effort-reward imbalance at work and risk of long-term sickness absence in the Danish workforce.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether effort-reward imbalance (ERI) at work predicts onset of register-based long-term sickness absence (LTSA) in a representative sample of the Danish workforce.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured effort, reward, ERI, and covariates with self-administered questionnaires in a sample of 4775 employees. LTSA during 12-months of follow-up was assessed with a national register. We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) with Cox proportional hazard models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HR of LTSA for a one-SD increase in ERI was 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93-1.15) in the most-adjusted model. For effort, the HR for a one-SD increase was 0.95 (95% CI, 0.85-1.06) and for reward the HR for a one-SD decrease was 1.14 (95% CI, 1.03-1.26).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ERI was not associated with onset of LTSA. Low reward, however, predicted LTSA.
authors.affiliation: National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark. mbn@nrcwe.dk
authors.forename: Maj Britt D
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Ida E H
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bültmann
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aust
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Burr
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rugulies
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003718:Denmark; D004649:Employee Incentive Plans; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires