title: Interrelationships between education, occupational class and income as determinants of sickness absence among young employees in 2002-2007 and 2008-2013.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A low socioeconomic position (SEP) is consistently associated with ill health, sickness absence (SA) and permanent disability, but studies among young employees are lacking. We examined the interrelationships between education, occupational class and income as determinants of SA among 25-34-year-old employees. We also examined, whether the association between SEP and SA varied over time in 2002-2007 and 2008-2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  The analyses covered young, 25-34-year-old women and men employed by the City of Helsinki over the time periods 2002-2007 and 2008-2013. Four-level education and occupational class classifications were used, as well as income quartiles. The outcome measure was the number of annual SA days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Education had the strongest and most consistent independent association with SA among women and men in both periods under study. Occupational class had weaker independent and less consistent association with SA. Income had an independent association with SA, which strengthened over time among the men. The interrelationships between the SEP indicators and SA were partly explained by prior or mediated through subsequent SEP indicators. Socioeconomic differences followed only partially a gradient for occupational class and also for income among men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preventive measures to reduce the risk of SA should be considered, especially among young employees with a basic or lower-secondary education.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. hilla.sumanen@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Hilla
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sumanen
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. olli.k.pietilainen@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Olli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pietiläinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. jouni.mm.lahti@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Jouni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lahti
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. eero.lahelma@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lahelma
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. ossi.rahkonen@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Ossi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rahkonen
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012923:Social Class