title: Interaction of Physical Exposures and Occupational Factors on Sickness Absence in Automotive Industry Workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increased sickness absence in recent years has been a trouble making issue in industrial society. Identify the causes of sickness absence and its influencing factors, is an important step to control and reduce its associated complications and costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate main factors associated with the incidence of sickness absence.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2012, a cross-sectional study on 758 employees of a car accessories producing company was applied and relevant information about the number of days and episodes of sickness absence, Disease resulting in absence from work, personal features, occupational factors and physical exposures were collected. To determine risk factors associated with sickness absence, Logistic regression analysis was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common diseases leading to sickness absence in order of frequency were Respiratory diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, gastrointestinal diseases and injuries at work. Musculoskeletal disorders increased the danger of long term absence by 4/33 times. Blue collar and shift works were the most important occupational factors associated with the incidence of sickness absence. The main physical factors that affect incidence of sickness absence were frequent bending-twisting and heavy lifting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Identifying controllable factors of sickness absence and trying to prevent and modify them such as compliance of ergonomic principals to decrease physical can be effective in reducing sickness absence.
authors.forename: Fateme
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valirad
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghaffari
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdi
authors.forename: Mirsaeed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Attarchi
authors.forename: Seyed Farzin
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Mircheraghi
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine Department- School of Medicine- Iran University of Medical Sciences.. sabermohammadi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Saber
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D001336:Automobiles; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires