Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Research article

Interrelationships between education, occupational class and income as determinants of sickness absence among young employees in 2002–2007 and 2008–2013

Authors: Hilla Sumanen, Olli Pietiläinen, Jouni Lahti, Eero Lahelma, Ossi Rahkonen

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2015

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

A low socioeconomic position (SEP) is consistently associated with ill health, sickness absence (SA) and permanent disability, but studies among young employees are lacking. We examined the interrelationships between education, occupational class and income as determinants of SA among 25-34-year-old employees. We also examined, whether the association between SEP and SA varied over time in 2002–2007 and 2008–2013.

Methods

The analyses covered young, 25-34-year-old women and men employed by the City of Helsinki over the time periods 2002–2007 and 2008–2013. Four-level education and occupational class classifications were used, as well as income quartiles. The outcome measure was the number of annual SA days.

Results

Education had the strongest and most consistent independent association with SA among women and men in both periods under study. Occupational class had weaker independent and less consistent association with SA. Income had an independent association with SA, which strengthened over time among the men. The interrelationships between the SEP indicators and SA were partly explained by prior or mediated through subsequent SEP indicators. Socioeconomic differences followed only partially a gradient for occupational class and also for income among men.

Conclusions

Preventive measures to reduce the risk of SA should be considered, especially among young employees with a basic or lower-secondary education.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Huijts T, Eikemo TA, Skalicka V. Income-related health inequalities in the nordic countries: examining the role of education, occupational class, and age. Soc Sci Med. 2010;71:1964–72.CrossRefPubMed
2.
Lorant V, Deliege D, Eaton W, Robert A, Philippot P, Ansseau M. Socioeconomic inequalities in depression: a meta-analysis. Am J Epidemiol. 2003;157:98–112.CrossRefPubMed
3.
Mackenbach JP. Socio-economic health differences in the Netherlands: a review of recent empirical findings. Soc Sci Med. 1992;34:213–26.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Piha K, Laaksonen M, Martikainen P, Rahkonen O, Lahelma E. Interrelationships between education, occupational class, income and sickness absence. Eur J Public Health. 2010;20:276–80.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Marmot M, Feeney A, Shipley M, North F, Syme SL. Sickness absence as a measure of health status and functioning: from the UK Whitehall II study. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1995;49:124–30.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
6.
Krane L, Johnsen R, Fleten N, Nielsen CV, Stapelfeldt CM, Jensen C, et al. Sickness absence patterns and trends in the health care sector: 5-year monitoring of female municipal employees in the health and care sectors in Norway and Denmark. Hum Resour Health. 2014;12:37-4491-12-37.CrossRef
7.
Ariansen AM, Mykletun A. Does postponement of first pregnancy increase gender differences in sickness absence? A register based analysis of Norwegian employees in 1993–2007. PLoS One. 2014;9(3):e93006.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
8.
Laaksonen M, Rahkonen O, Martikainen P, Lahelma E. Socioeconomic position and self-rated health: the contribution of childhood socioeconomic circumstances, adult socioeconomic status, and material resources. Am J Public Health. 2005;95:1403–9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
9.
Lahelma E, Martikainen P, Laaksonen M, Aittomäki A. Pathways between socioeconomic determinants of health. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2004;58:327–32.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
10.
Sivesind Mehlum I, Corbett K, Michael Gran J, Kristensen P. 0281 the relationship between socioeconomic position, working conditions and sickness absence in a life-course perspective [abstract]. Occup Environ Med. 2014;71 Suppl 1:A1–132.CrossRef
11.
12.
13.
Christensen KB, Labriola M, Lund T, Kivimäki M. Explaining the social gradient in long-term sickness absence: a prospective study of Danish employees. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2008;62:181–3.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Morikawa Y, Martikainen P, Head J, Marmot M, Ishizaki M, Nakagawa H. A comparison of socio-economic differences in long-term sickness absence in a Japanese cohort and a British cohort of employed men. Eur J Public Health. 2004;14:413–6.CrossRefPubMed
15.
North F, Syme SL, Feeney A, Head J, Shipley MJ, Marmot MG. Explaining socioeconomic differences in sickness absence: the Whitehall II study. BMJ. 1993;306:361–6.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
16.
Moncada S, Navarro A, Cortes I, Molinero E, Artazcoz L. Sickness leave, administrative category and gender: results from the “Casa Gran” project. Scand J Public Health Suppl. 2002;59:26–33.PubMed
17.
Piha K, Martikainen P, Rahkonen O, Roos E, Lahelma E. Trends in socioeconomic differences in sickness absence among Finnish municipal employees 1990–99. Scand J Public Health. 2007;35:348–55.CrossRefPubMed
18.
Laaksonen M, Piha K, Rahkonen O, Martikainen P, Lahelma E. Explaining occupational class differences in sickness absence: results from middle-aged municipal employees. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2010;64:802–7.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Borg K, Hensing G, Alexanderson K. Prediction of future low levels of sickness absence among young persons sick listed with back, neck, or shoulder diagnoses. Work. 2004;23:159–67.PubMed
20.
Löve J, Holmgren K, Toren K, Hensing G. Can work ability explain the social gradient in sickness absence: a study of a general population in Sweden. BMC Public Health. 2012;12:163-2458-12-163.CrossRef
21.
Dahl E. Social inequalities in health: the significance of occupational status, education and income - results from a Norwegian survey. Sociol Health Ill. 1994;16:644–67.CrossRef
22.
Lynch J, Kaplan G. Socioeconomic position. In: Berkman LF, Kawachi I, editors. Social epidemiology. New York: Oxford University Press; 2000. p. 13–35.
23.
Lahelma E, Aittomäki A, Laaksonen M, Lallukka T, Martikainen P, Piha K, et al. Cohort profile: the Helsinki Health Study. Int J Epidemiol. 2013;42:722–30.CrossRefPubMed
24.
25.
Breslow NE, Clayton DG. Approximate inference in generalized linear mixed models. J Am Stat Assoc. 1993;88:9–25.
26.
Venables WN, Ripley BD. Modern applied statistics with S. 4th ed. New York: Springer; 2002.CrossRef
27.
Nieuwenhuijsen K, Verbeek JH, de Boer AG, Blonk RW, van Dijk FJ. Predicting the duration of sickness absence for patients with common mental disorders in occupational health care. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2006;32:67–74.CrossRefPubMed
28.
de Croon EM, Sluiter JK, Frings-Dresen MH. Need for recovery after work predicts sickness absence: a 2-year prospective cohort study in truck drivers. J Psychosom Res. 2003;55:331–9.CrossRefPubMed
29.
van Amelsvoort LG, Spigt MG, Swaen GM, Kant I. Leisure time physical activity and sickness absenteeism; a prospective study. Occup Med (Lond). 2006;56:210–2.CrossRef
30.
Beemsterboer W, Stewart R, Groothoff J, Nijhuis F. A literature review on sick leave determinants (1984–2004). Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2009;22:169–79.PubMed
31.
da Luz AA, da Silva MC, Turte SL, Lopes Mde O, Fischer FM. Effects of working full-time and studying in the evening hours among young apprentices and trainees. Hum Factors. 2012;54:952–63.CrossRefPubMed
32.
Teixeira L, Lowden A, da Luz AA, Turte SL, Valente D, Matsumura RJ, et al. Sleep patterns and sleepiness of working college students. Work. 2012;41 Suppl 1:5550–2.PubMed
Metadata
Title
Interrelationships between education, occupational class and income as determinants of sickness absence among young employees in 2002–2007 and 2008–2013
Authors
Hilla Sumanen
Olli Pietiläinen
Jouni Lahti
Eero Lahelma
Ossi Rahkonen
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-1718-1

Other articles of this Issue 1/2015

BMC Public Health 1/2015 Go to the issue

Research article

Development of a Vitality Scan related to workers’ sustainable employability: a study assessing its internal consistency and construct validity

Research article

Translational research: are community-based child obesity treatment programs scalable?

Research article

Population awareness of risks related to medicinal product use in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR: a cross-sectional study for public health improvement in low and middle income countries

Research article

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Hong Kong population towards human A/H7N9 influenza pandemic preparedness, China, 2014

Research article

Parent and child perceptions of school-based obesity prevention in England: a qualitative study

Study protocol

Activation of persons living with HIV for treatment, the great study