title: Sickness absence and psychosocial job quality: an analysis from a longitudinal survey of working Australians, 2005-2012.
abstract: Sickness absence is associated with adverse health, organizational, and societal outcomes. Using data from a longitudinal cohort study of working Australians (the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey), we examined the relationship between changes in individuals' overall psychosocial job quality and variation in sickness absence. The outcome variables were paid sickness absence (yes/no) and number of days of paid sickness absence in the past year (2005-2012). The main exposure variable was psychosocial job quality, measured using a psychosocial job quality index (levels of job control, demands and complexity, insecurity, and perceptions of unfair pay). Analysis was conducted using longitudinal fixed-effects logistic regression models and negative binomial regression models. There was a dose-response relationship between the number of psychosocial job stressors reported by an individual and the odds of paid sickness absence (1 adversity: odds ratio (OR) = 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09, 1.45 (P = 0.002); 2 adversities: OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.51 (P = 0.002); ≥3 adversities: OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.29, 1.94 (P < 0.001)). The negative binomial regression models also indicated that respondents reported a greater number of days of sickness absence in response to worsening psychosocial job quality. These results suggest that workplace interventions aiming to improve the quality of work could help reduce sickness absence.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Milner
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Butterworth
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bentley
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kavanagh
authors.forename: Anthony D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: LaMontagne
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: cohort studies; employment; job quality; job stressors; psychosocial factors; sickness absence