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Job strain and informal caregiving as predictors of long-term sickness absence: A longitudinal multi-cohort study

Mortensen, J; Dich, N; Lange, T; Alexanderson, K; Goldberg, M; Head, J; Kivimaeki, M; ... Rod, NH; + view all (2017) Job strain and informal caregiving as predictors of long-term sickness absence: A longitudinal multi-cohort study. Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health , 43 (1) pp. 5-14. 10.5271/sjweh.3587. Green open access

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the individual, joint and interactive effects of job strain and informal caregiving on long-term sickness absence with special attention to gender differences. METHODS: The study comprised a prospective cohort study of 6798 working adults from France, 14 727 from Finland, and 5275 from the UK. A total of 26 800 participants, age 52 (interquartile range 47–56) years participated in the study. Job strain was assessed using the demand–control model. Informal caregiving was defined as care for a sick, disabled, or elderly person. Long-term sickness absence spells defined as absence >14 consecutive days were registered during two years follow-up. We used recurrent-events Cox regression in random-effects meta-analyses. RESULTS: A total of 12% men and 21% women had ≥1 long-term sickness absence spell. Among women, both high job strain [hazard ratio (HR) 1.08, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.00–1.17] and informal caregiving (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.04–1.23) were associated with a modestly higher risk of sickness absence. Women doubly exposed to high job strain and informal caregiving also showed a moderately higher risk of sickness absence (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.03–1.41), but the excess risk was not more than expected from joint exposure to caregiving and job strain. Neither job strain nor informal caregiving predicted sickness absence for men. CONCLUSIONS: High job strain and informal caregiving predicted long-term sickness absence among women. However there was no noticeable interaction in the presence of both exposures.

Type: Article
Title: Job strain and informal caregiving as predictors of long-term sickness absence: A longitudinal multi-cohort study
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.3587
Publisher version: http://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3587
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Keywords: Gender difference; informal caregiving; interaction; job strain; long-term sickness absence; multi-cohort; predictor; sick leave; sickness absence; unpaid care; women
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Epidemiology and Public Health
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1508744
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