Workplace absenteeism and cardiovascular risk factors in hospital public health workers

The aim of this study was to determine absenteeism by sickness as causality and its relation to age, sex, educational level, occupation and cardiovascular risk factors in hospital public health workers. The study cohort consisted of 270 workers of two public hospitals in Posadas, Misiones, followed from 2002 to 2012. Personal surveys were conducted, and anthropometric measurements, blood pressure and blood samples for biochemical measurements were taken. The Cox proportional risks model was used, taking absenteeism as dependent variable. Median absenteeism was two days per year (Percentile25: 0,0-Percentile75: 9.75). Bone and joint diseases and depression were the main causes. For individual analysis, workers = 45 years old Hazard Ratio (HR) = 1.927 (p= 0.009), female HR= 5.058 (p= 0.002), less educated HR= 1.729 (p= 0.028), nursing function HR= 2.706 (p< 0.001), diabetes HR= 3.067 (p= 0.001) and hypertension HR= 1.909 (p= 0.043) were significantly associated with absenteeism. No relation to hypercholesterolemia, smoking and obesity was observed. By multiple regression, Female HR= 3.585 (p= 0.015), nursery occupation HR= 2.012 (p= 0.007) and diabetes HR= 2.533 (p= 0.011) remained statistically significant. These findings will serve as a support to hospital authorities to implement a comprehensive care program aimed at these workers.