Dual trajectories of short-term and long-term sickness absence and their social- and health-related determinants among women in the public sector.

BACKGROUND: Short- and long-term sickness absence (SA) vary in their determinants. We examined short- and long-term SA contemporaneously as two interconnected phenomena to characterize their temporal development, and to identify employees with increasing SA at an early stage. METHODS: We extracted 46- to 55-year-old employed women from the Helsinki Health Study occupational cohort during 2000-17 (N = 3206) and examined the development of short- (1-14 days) and long-term (>14 days) SA using group-based dual trajectory modelling. In addition, we investigated the associations of social-, work- and health-related factors with trajectory group membership. RESULTS: For short-term SA, we selected a three-group solution: 'no short-term SA' (50%), 'low frequency short-term SA' (40%), and 'high frequency short-term SA' (10%) (7 spells/year). For long-term SA, we also selected three trajectory groups: 'no long-term SA' (65%), 'low long-term SA' (27%), and 'high long-term SA' (8%). No SA in the short-term SA model, indicated a high probability of no SA in the long-term model and vice versa. The developmental pattern was far less certain if participant was assigned to a trajectory of high SA in either one of the models (short- or long-term SA model). Low occupational class and poor health behaviours were associated with the trajectory groups with more SA. CONCLUSION: SA does not increase with age among most employees. If either SA rate was high, the developmental patterns were heterogenous. Employers' attention to health behaviours might aid in reducing both short- and long-term SA.

Work-family conflicts and sickness absence-a register-linked cohort study among young and early midlife employees.

BACKGROUND: Work-family conflicts (WFC) have been associated with poor mental health, poor self-rated health and sickness absence. However, studies on short sickness absence are lacking and more information is needed also about long sickness absence regarding the direction of WFC, and potential explaining factors particularly among young and early middle-aged employees. METHODS: The Helsinki Health Study baseline survey (2017) among 19- to 39-year-old municipal employees (N = 3683, 80% women, response rate 51.5%) was linked to employer's sickness absence data. The associations of work-to-family conflicts (WTFC) and family-to-work conflicts (FTWC) with short (1-7 days) and long (over 7 days) sickness absence were analyzed using negative binomial regression analysis. Covariates were age, gender, family-related factors and work-related factors. Stratified analyses by occupational class were performed. The results are presented as rate ratios and their 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: High WTFC were associated with short (1.25, 1.12-1.40) and long (1.37, 1.11-1.70) sickness absence. High FTWC were also associated with short (1.12, 1.03-1.22) and long (1.24, 1.06-1.45) sickness absence. Adjustment for family-related factors strengthened the associations, whereas adjustment for work-related factors abolished the associations between WTFC and sickness absence. Associations between WFC and sickness absence were observed among two lowest occupational classes only. CONCLUSION: WFC are associated with both short and long sickness absence. Work-related factors including the quality of supervisory work and shift work play a role in the association. Intervention studies could determine if improvements in combining work and family life lead to a reduction in sickness absence.

Trajectories of satisfaction with work-family reconciliation among midlife employees: the role of family-related factors and quality of life.

We studied the developmental trajectories of satisfaction with work-family reconciliation (WFS) and their associations with family-related factors and quality of life measures among municipal employees. The study was based on the Helsinki Health Study of municipal employees of the City of Helsinki in 2001-02 and its follow-up surveys in 2007, 2012, and 2017. Employees aged 40-50 at baseline and working at all timepoints were analysed (n = 1681, 84% women). Growth Mixture Models were applied to identify trajectories of WFS (dissatisfied vs. satisfied). Associations of family-related and quality-of-life factors (physical functioning and emotional well-being) with the WFS trajectories were studied using log-binomial regression models, adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle variables. Two WFS trajectories, low (women 45%; men 53%) and high were identified. In a fully adjusted model among women, having ≥1 children aged 0-6 years was associated with increased odds of belonging to the low WFS trajectory (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.19-1.95). Among men, having ≥1 children aged 7-18 was associated with decreased odds (0.39, 0.19-0.80). High emotional well-being was inversely associated with the low WFS trajectory among both genders (women 0.32, 0.23-0.45; men 0.20, 0.09-0.46). High physical functioning (0.59, 0.42-0.83) was inversely associated with the low WFS trajectory among women only. Less than half of the women and more than half of the men participants belonged to a low WFS trajectory, which associated with the age of children in the family and quality-of-life measures.