Work productivity among adults with varied Body Mass Index: Results from a Canadian population-based survey.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and work productivity, including absenteeism and presenteeism remains unclear. The objective of this study was to examine work productivity among adults with varied BMI using population-based data.


METHODS
Data source was the 2009-2010 Canadian Community Health Survey. The outcomes reflected work absence (absenteeism) and reduced activities at work (presenteeism). The key explanatory variable was BMI in six categories. Logistic regressions were used to measure the association between outcome and explanatory variables adjusting for potential confounders.


RESULTS
The sample consisted of 56,971 respondents ranging in age from 20 to 69 years. Relative to normal BMI, the odds of absenteeism were higher for those in the obesity class III (OR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.39; 1.83). Presenteeism was weakly associated with all obesity categories (OR=1.49, 95% CI: 1.38; 1.61, for obesity class I). Overweight was marginally associated with absenteeism and presenteeism. Underweight was inversely associated with absenteeism.


CONCLUSIONS
This study found that obesity is an independent risk factor for reduced work productivity. Both absenteeism and presenteeism were associated with obesity. However, being overweight was weakly associated with work productivity.
School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Electronic address: arnaldo.sb@alumni.ubc.ca.
Arnaldo
A
Sanchez Bustillos
School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Kris Gregory
KG
Vargas
Occupational Medicine Post-graduate Program, Faculty of Medicine, Cayetano Heredia University, Lima, Peru.
Raul
R
Gomero-Cuadra
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004526:Efficiency / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
Absenteeism; Body Mass Index; Presenteeism; Work productivity