ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To estimate the frequency of non-work sickness absence (ITcc) related to previous occupational injuries with (ATB) or without (ATSB) sick leave. METHODS: Prospective longitudinal study. Workers with ATB or ATSB notified to the Occupational Accident Registry of Catalonia were selected in the last term of 2009. They were followed-up for six months after returning to work (ATB) or after the accident (ATSB), by sex and occupation. Official labor and health authority registries were used as information sources. An "injury-associated ITcc" was defined when the sick leave occurred in the following six months and within the same diagnosis group. The absolute and relative frequency were calculated according to time elapsed and its duration (cumulated days, measures of central trend and dispersion), by diagnosis group or affected body area, as compared to all of Catalonia. RESULTS: 2,9%of ATB (n=627) had an injury-associated ITcc, with differences by diagnosis, sex and occupation; this was also the case for 2,1% of ATSB (n=496).With the same diagnosis, duration of ITcc was longer among those who had an associated injury, and with respect to all of Catalonia. CONCLUSIONS: Some of the under-reporting of occupational pathology corresponds to episodes initially recognized as being work-related. Duration of sickness absence depends not only on diagnosis and clinical course, but also on criteria established by the entities managing the case. This could imply that more complicated injuries are referred to the national health system, resulting in personal, legal, healthcare and economic cost consequences for all involved stakeholders.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study analyze the duration of episodes of work absence due to non work-related diseases in Catalonia by health regions, assuming a homogeneous distribution of durations between health regions. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 811.790 episodes in 2005 and followed to episode closure through July 2007 provided by the Institut Català d'Avaluacions Mèdiques, describing their median duration (MD) in days for each of the seven health regions of Catalonia. The probability of returning to work was plotted according to Wang_Chang survival curves and median durations were then compared using the Barcelona health region as the referent group. Results were extended through stratification by sex. RESULTS: The Camp de Tarragona health region had the shortest MD (5 days), while the episodes in the Alt Pirineu i Aran region had the longest (MD, 13 days). The Barcelona health region had a MD of 7 days as was the case for Cataluña Central. MD in Girona was 8 days, and in Lleida and Terres de l'Ebre it was 9 days. This latter region also had the highest median duration 13 days. CONCLUSIONS: The are significant differences in the duration of work absence between the health regions of Catalonia. These differences persisted after adjusting for age, management of episodes and social security system status, in both men and women.
Subject(s)
Occupational Health , Sick Leave , Social Security , Age Factors , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Kaplan-Meier Estimate , Male , Probability , Retrospective Studies , Sex Factors , Spain , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Fundamentos: En este estudio se analizó la duración de los episodiosde incapacidad temporal por contingencia común en Cataluñasegún regiones sanitarias. Partiendo de la hipótesis de una distribuciónhomogénea de las duraciones entre las regiones sanitarias.Métodos: Estudio de cohorte retrospectiva de 811.790 episodiosobtenidos del Institut Català dAvaluacions Mèdiques iniciados elaño 2005 y seguidos hasta su finalización, cómo máximo julio de2007, donde se describió la mediana de la duración en días de los episodiospara cada una de las siete regiones sanitarias de Cataluña. Laprobabilidad de volver al trabajo se representó según las curvas desupervivencia de Wang_Chang y se comparó la duración mediana(DM) tomando como referencia la Región Sanitaria Barcelona,estratificando por sexo.Resultados: La región de Camp de Tarragona registra la menorduración de 5 días. Por contra, los episodios ocurridos en el Alt Pirineui Aran presentaron una mayor duración de 13 días. Para la regiónde Barcelona la duración fue 7 días, al igual que para Cataluña Central.En Girona fue de 8 días, y en Lleida y Terres de lEbre de 9 días.Conclusiones: Existen diferencias significativas en las duracionesde los episodios entre las regiones sanitarias de Cataluña, que semantienen después de ajustar por la edad, la gestión del episodio y elrégimen de Seguridad Social, tanto para hombres como para mujeres(AU)
Background: This study analyze the duration of episodes ofwork absence due to non work-related diseases in Catalonia byhealth regions, assuming a homogeneous distribution of durationsbetween health regions.Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 811.790 episodes in2005 and followed to episode closure through July 2007 provided bythe Institut Català dAvaluacions Mèdiques, describing their medianduration (MD) in days for each of the seven health regions of Catalonia.The probability of returning to work was plotted according toWang_Chang survival curves and median durations were then comparedusing the Barcelona health region as the referent group.Results were extended through stratification by sex.Results: The Camp de Tarragona health region had the shortestMD (5 days), while the episodes in the Alt Pirineu i Aran region hadthe longest (MD, 13 days). The Barcelona health region had a MD of7 days as was the case for Cataluña Central. MD in Girona was 8days, and in Lleida and Terres de lEbre it was 9 days. This latterregion also had the highest median duration 13 days.Conclusions: The are significant differences in the duration ofwork absence between the health regions of Catalonia. These differencespersisted after adjusting for age, management of episodes andsocial security system status, in both men and women(AU)
