-
Drug and Alcohol Review Nov 2023Workplace absenteeism is a burden in Australia. The estimated productivity losses due to alcohol were around $4.0 billion in 2017, with absenteeism driving 90% of these...
INTRODUCTION
Workplace absenteeism is a burden in Australia. The estimated productivity losses due to alcohol were around $4.0 billion in 2017, with absenteeism driving 90% of these costs. We aim to determine the dose-response relationship between average daily alcohol consumption and heavy episodic drinking (HED) frequency and workplace absenteeism amongst Australian workers.
METHODS
We used the 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey of Australian employed workers aged ≥20 years to 69 years old. Respondents' average daily alcohol consumption was categorised into four: abstainers, light to moderate (1-20 g of alcohol/day), risky (>20-40 g of alcohol/day) and high-risk (>40 g of alcohol/day). HED was classified into four frequency measures (never, less than monthly, monthly, weekly). The outcome variables came from dichotomised measures of: (i) absence due to alcohol consumption; and (ii) broader sickness absence-absence due to illness or injury in the previous 3 months.
RESULTS
Risky (adjusted odds ratio 4.74 [95% CI 2.93-7.64]) and high-risk drinking (adjusted odds ratio 6.61 [95% CI 4.10-10.68]) were linked to increased odds of alcohol-related absence. Higher HED frequency was significantly associated with alcohol-related and broader sickness absenteeism. No significant associations exist between regular alcohol consumption and broader sickness absence in fully adjusted models.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest that only HED is linked to broader sickness absence. However, there is a strong dose-response association between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related absences for both consumption measures amongst Australian workers. Population-level policies that reduce alcohol consumption to moderate level and less frequent HED might address workplace absenteeism.
Topics: Humans; Young Adult; Adult; Absenteeism; Alcohol Drinking; Australia; Workplace; Efficiency; Ethanol
PubMed: 37517043
DOI: 10.1111/dar.13726 -
Journal of Occupational and... Nov 2022We aimed to estimate absenteeism due to substance use disorder among full-time employees.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to estimate absenteeism due to substance use disorder among full-time employees.
METHODS
We used the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to identify a sample of individuals employed full time. We used a survey-weighted multivariable negative binomial model to evaluate the association between absenteeism and type of substance use disorder controlling for available demographic information.
RESULTS
In the adjusted model, we estimated that opioid use without a disorder had the highest absenteeism for use, and polysubstance use disorder had the highest absenteeism among use disorders. In a hypothetical firm of 10,000 employees, we estimate $232,000 of lost wage value annually.
CONCLUSIONS
Substance use is associated with absenteeism and presents a compelling argument for employers to promote programs that support treatment for employees and reduce downstream costs associated with absenteeism and turnover.
Topics: Humans; Absenteeism; Cost of Illness; Employment; Cohort Studies; Substance-Related Disorders
PubMed: 35901222
DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002612 -
Postgraduate Medical Journal Dec 1991The majority of time lost from work as a result of absenteeism is classified as due to sickness although only a small proportion of the total can be regarded as a result... (Review)
Review
The majority of time lost from work as a result of absenteeism is classified as due to sickness although only a small proportion of the total can be regarded as a result of unfitness for work for medical reasons. An occupational health service assists a business in minimizing absenteeism by promoting an early return to work, assists general practitioners and hospital specialists in tailoring return to work packages, and assists employees by liaising with both management and their medical specialists to facilitate a return to normal work.
Topics: Absenteeism; Humans; Interprofessional Relations; Occupational Health Services; Personnel Management; Physician's Role; United Kingdom
PubMed: 1800967
DOI: 10.1136/pgmj.67.794.1067 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2023Reduced immune fitness can have a significant negative impact on work performance. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of reduced immune fitness on...
Reduced immune fitness can have a significant negative impact on work performance. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of reduced immune fitness on job performance and associated costs for the Dutch economy. Data from = 425 Dutch working adults (18-65 years old) who completed an online survey were analyzed to evaluate the number of days of absenteeism (not going to work) and presenteeism (working while sick) due to reduced immune fitness, and the performance level on days worked with reduced immune fitness. Data from for the year 2019 were analyzed. Participants reported 2.9 absenteeism days and 19 presenteeism days, with an average performance reduction of 22.8% when working on days with reduced immune fitness. Significantly more days of absenteeism and presenteeism were reported by women, individuals with a poorer immune fitness, and those with underlying disease. Performance impairment on days worked while experiencing reduced immune fitness was significantly greater among individuals with a younger age at the junior career level, those with underlying disease, and among highly educated individuals. The associated costs of reduced immune fitness were estimated at €4.3 billion for absenteeism and €6.4 billion for presenteeism. Together, the costs of reduced immune fitness for the Dutch economy in 2019 were estimated at €10.7 billion. These findings demonstrate that reduced immune fitness has a significant negative impact on the Dutch economy.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Female; Adolescent; Young Adult; Middle Aged; Aged; Absenteeism; Presenteeism; Work Performance; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 36767127
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031761 -
Revista Gaucha de Enfermagem 2021To characterize absenteeism among the workers of a footwear manufacturer and analyze associated factors.
OBJECTIVES
To characterize absenteeism among the workers of a footwear manufacturer and analyze associated factors.
METHOD
This quantitative and cross-sectional study addressed 572 workers from a footwear company located in southern Brazil, totaling 1,902 sick leaves in 2017. Analyses considered absolute and relative frequencies, and univariate and multivariate Poisson regression models were performed.
RESULTS
Most workers taking a leave from work were women with a job position in the operational sector to accompany a family member to attend a medical appointment or take exams. In the multivariate analysis, the following variables appeared associated with leaves longer than three days: being ≥ 50 years older, working in the Production Support sector, working in the company from 16 to 20 years, and nine groups of diseases (ICD-10).
CONCLUSION
The findings contribute to understanding this industry's absenteeism profile, supporting strategies to promote positive economic and social impact, and promote adequate occupational health and safety.
Topics: Absenteeism; Brazil; Cross-Sectional Studies; Employment; Female; Humans; Sick Leave
PubMed: 34878014
DOI: 10.1590/1983-1447.2021.20200341 -
Journal of Occupational Health 2023Prolonged and constant stress from work often leads to numerous adverse health effects. In recent years, interest in probiotics, living microorganisms that can benefit... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Prolonged and constant stress from work often leads to numerous adverse health effects. In recent years, interest in probiotics, living microorganisms that can benefit their host when consumed in adequate amounts, to aid health and well-being has increased. This scoping review is to systematically evaluate the current state of science on the effects of probiotic supplements on health, stress, and stress-related symptoms among working adults in occupational settings.
METHODS
We performed a systematic scoping review following the Arksey and O'Malley Framework. Studies that examined the effects of probiotics on workers' health and stress-related indicators/outcomes in occupational settings were included. A comprehensive search was performed from November 2021 to January 2022 using MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Scopus, and Embase.
RESULTS
A total of 14 papers met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Probiotics consisted primarily of Lactobacillus and/or Bifidobacterium strains in various forms and doses. Three out of eight studies reported statistical differences in inflammatory markers or stress hormone levels between probiotic and placebo groups. Three of six reported reduced respiratory tract infection incidents in the probiotic groups and three out of four studies reported no differences in anxiety and depression between groups. Lastly, three studies found that absenteeism and presentism were lower in probiotic groups compared with placebo groups.
CONCLUSION
The potential benefits of probiotics exist; however, the measurements of outcomes, the types of probiotics used, and the characteristics of the intervention varied across studies. Further research is needed focusing on probiotics' direct and indirect mechanisms of action on the stress response and the standardization of strains and dosing.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Occupational Health; Probiotics; Lactobacillus; Absenteeism; Anxiety
PubMed: 37218068
DOI: 10.1002/1348-9585.12404 -
Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology Jun 2021Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), consisting of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, can be a lifelong burden generating high costs to an economic system. Data...
BACKGROUND
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), consisting of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, can be a lifelong burden generating high costs to an economic system. Data regarding the cost of workplace presenteeism and absenteeism in workers with IBD are limited. Our objective was to assess these costs in employed adults.
METHODS
A structured questionnaire, hospital records and national registers were combined to assess the economic costs involved with workplace presenteeism and absenteeism in employed patients. Our final sample comprised 320 IBD patients. The costs were calculated as productivity-loss costs by using a Human Capital Approach.
RESULTS
Due to IBD, the mean annual economic costs of workplace presenteeism were €643.90/patient, and mean annual absenteeism costs were €740.90/patient. Women had higher costs (€955/patient/year) from absenteeism compared to men (€531/patient/year) especially when working blue-collar jobs. These findings were also evident in presenteeism. CD and UC patients had similar total costs due to presenteeism and absenteeism. The use of biologics did not have a major impact on these costs.
CONCLUSION
IBD patients had moderate economic costs from workplace presenteeism and absenteeism. Interestingly, women, working blue-collar jobs, had higher costs than men.
Topics: Absenteeism; Adult; Colitis, Ulcerative; Crohn Disease; Efficiency; Female; Humans; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Male; Presenteeism
PubMed: 33826877
DOI: 10.1080/00365521.2021.1908416 -
BMJ Global Health Dec 2020Assess the quality of healthcare across African countries based on health providers' clinical knowledge, their clinic attendance and drug availability, with a focus on...
OBJECTIVE
Assess the quality of healthcare across African countries based on health providers' clinical knowledge, their clinic attendance and drug availability, with a focus on seven conditions accounting for a large share of child and maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa: malaria, tuberculosis, diarrhoea, pneumonia, diabetes, neonatal asphyxia and postpartum haemorrhage.
METHODS
With nationally representative, cross-sectional data from ten countries in sub-Saharan Africa, collected using clinical vignettes (to assess provider knowledge), unannounced visits (to assess provider absenteeism) and visual inspections of facilities (to assess availability of drugs and equipment), we assess whether health providers are available and have sufficient knowledge and means to diagnose and treat patients suffering from common conditions amenable to primary healthcare. We draw on data from 8061 primary and secondary care facilities in Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda, and 22 746 health workers including doctors, clinical officers, nurses and community health workers. Facilities were selected using a multistage cluster-sampling design to ensure data were representative of rural and urban areas, private and public facilities, and of different facility types. These data were gathered under the Service Delivery Indicators programme.
RESULTS
Across all conditions and countries, healthcare providers were able to correctly diagnose 64% (95% CI 62% to 65%) of the clinical vignette cases, and in 45% (95% CI 43% to 46%) of the cases, the treatment plan was aligned with the correct diagnosis. For diarrhoea and pneumonia, two common causes of under-5 deaths, 27% (95% CI 25% to 29%) of the providers correctly diagnosed and prescribed the appropriate treatment for both conditions. On average, 70% of health workers were present in the facilities to provide care during facility hours when those workers are scheduled to be on duty. Taken together, we estimate that the likelihood that a facility has at least one staff present with competency and key inputs required to provide child, neonatal and maternity care that meets minimum quality standards is 14%. On average, poor clinical knowledge is a greater constraint in care readiness than drug availability or health workers' absenteeism in the 10 countries. However, we document substantial heterogeneity across countries in the extent to which drug availability and absenteeism matter quantitatively.
CONCLUSION
Our findings highlight the need to boost the knowledge of healthcare workers to achieve greater care readiness. Training programmes have shown mixed results, so systems may need to adopt a combination of competency-based preservice and in-service training for healthcare providers (with evaluation to ensure the effectiveness of the training), and hiring practices that ensure the most prepared workers enter the systems. We conclude that in settings where clinical knowledge is poor, improving drug availability or reducing health workers' absenteeism would only modestly increase the average care readiness that meets minimum quality standards.
Topics: Absenteeism; Child; Child Health; Child Health Services; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Kenya; Maternal Health Services; Nigeria; Pregnancy; Senegal
PubMed: 33355259
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003377 -
Health Policy and Planning Nov 2022The ability to deliver primary care in Nigeria is undermined by chronic absenteeism, but an understanding of its drivers is needed if effective responses are to be...
The ability to deliver primary care in Nigeria is undermined by chronic absenteeism, but an understanding of its drivers is needed if effective responses are to be developed. While there is a small but growing body of relevant research, the gendered dynamics of absenteeism remains largely unexplored. We apply a gendered perspective to understanding absenteeism and propose targeted strategies that appear likely to reduce it. We did so by means of a qualitative study that was part of a larger project examining corruption within the health system in six primary healthcare facilities across rural and urban regions in Enugu State, south-east Nigeria. We conducted 30 in-depth interviews with frontline health workers, healthcare managers and community members of the health facility committee. Six focus group discussions were held with male and female service users. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants described markedly gendered differences in the factors contributing to health worker absenteeism that were related to gender norms. Absence by female health workers was attributed to domestic and caregiving responsibilities, including housekeeping, childcare, cooking, washing and non-commercial farming used to support their families. Male health workers were most often absent to fulfil expectations related to their role as breadwinners, with dual practice and work in other sectors to generate additional income generation as their formal salaries were considered irregular and poor. Demands arising from socio-cultural and religious events affected the attendance of both male and female health workers. Both men and women were subject to sanctions, but managers and facility chairs were more lenient with women when absence was due to caregiving and other domestic responsibilities. In summary, gender roles influence absenteeism amongst primary healthcare workers in Nigeria and thus should be taken into account in developing nuanced responses that take account of the social, economic and cultural factors that underpin these roles.
Topics: Female; Male; Humans; Nigeria; Absenteeism; Rural Population; Health Workforce; Health Personnel; Qualitative Research
PubMed: 35801868
DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czac056 -
Prevention Science : the Official... Jan 2023Despite increasing reliance on licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to provide health services in schools, we do not know whether this is a cost-effective prevention...
Despite increasing reliance on licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to provide health services in schools, we do not know whether this is a cost-effective prevention strategy against student absenteeism. Therefore, we evaluated the costs and effectiveness of an LPN-based school nursing program for improving attendance and chronic absenteeism at a large, urban school district in the southeastern USA. We first identified a matched set of 46 elementary schools (23 nurse, 23 no-nurse) by using an optimal multilevel matching algorithm based on student- and school-level characteristics. We then conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis on the matched set, using the ingredients method to estimate societal costs and multilevel regression to estimate effects. The results indicated that despite substantial incremental costs of $68,228 per school, the presence of a full-time LPN was associated with at best negligible improvements, and at worst slight disimprovements, in attendance and chronic absenteeism. We recommend a careful review of the theory of change for LPN-based school nursing programs to clarify the specific inputs and activities that are expected to lead to improved student outcomes. Education agencies should develop explicit assignment, training, monitoring, and auditing plans to ensure LPNs are equitably distributed and that their activities are aligned with the theory of change. Education agencies should also explore whether expanded Medicaid billing can reduce their share of the nursing cost burden.
Topics: Child; Humans; Licensed Practical Nurses; Absenteeism; School Nursing; Students; Schools
PubMed: 36394675
DOI: 10.1007/s11121-022-01459-0