Citation

Halonen JI, Lallukka T, Kujanpää T, Lahti J, Kanerva N, Pietiläinen O, Rahkonen O, Lahelma E, Mänty M. Scand. J. Public Health 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

City of Vantaa, Vantaa, Finland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Associations of Public Health in the Nordic Countries Regions, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1403494820901411

PMID

31960756

Abstract

Aims: The aim was to examine whether the contribution of physical work exposures to the risk of sickness absence (SA) is different between those with and without common mental disorders (CMD). Methods: We used questionnaire data on four work exposures and CMD from 6159 participants of the Helsinki Health Study cohort with 12,458 observations from three surveys (2000-2002, 2007 and 2012). We formed combination exposures for the work exposures (hazardous exposures, physical workload, computer and shift work) with CMD. Associations with SA of different length were examined with negative binomial regression models. Results: We observed stronger associations for CMD with SA than for the individual work exposures. The strength of the associations for hazardous exposures and physical workload increased with length of SA, especially when the participant also had CMD. The strongest associations for the combined exposures were observed for SA ⩾15 days, the rate ratios being 2.63 (95% CI 2.27-3.05) among those with hazardous exposure and CMD, and 3.37 (95% CI 2.93-3.88) among those with heavy physical workload and CMD. Conclusions: Employees with hazardous exposures or physical workload combined with CMD were at the highest risk of SA compared with those without these exposures or with only one exposure.

Language: en

Keywords

Computer work; common mental disorder; hazardous exposure; physical work; shift work; sickness absence