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Previous sickness presence among long‐term sick‐listed in N orway and S weden: A retrospective study of prevalence and self‐reported reasons
Author(s) -
Marklund Staffan,
Aronsson Gunnar,
Johansen Vegard,
Solheim Liv Johanne
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
international journal of social welfare
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1468-2397
pISSN - 1369-6866
DOI - 10.1111/ijsw.12143
Subject(s) - sick leave , medicine , feeling , odds , demography , odds ratio , absenteeism , family medicine , psychology , logistic regression , social psychology , physical therapy , sociology
The aim of the present study was to analyse previous sickness presence among long‐term sick‐listed individuals in N orway and S weden and the reasons given for sickness presence. The study was based on survey data for 3,312 persons in N orway and S weden who had been sick‐listed for at least 30 days. Two questions were used. One measured prevalence: During the last 12 months prior to your current sick leave, did you go to work even when feeling so ill that you should have taken sick leave? The second question concerned reasons for sickness presence. Large differences were found between N orway and S weden in the prevalence of sickness presence. More long‐term sick‐listed N orwegians than S wedes reported sickness presence [adjusted odds ratio ( OR ) for S weden 0.65 (0.53–0.80)]. The S wedes more often reported financial reasons for sickness presence [adjusted OR 2.77 (2.1 to −3.54)], while the N orwegians more often gave positive reasons related to work. The national differences may be related to differences in sickness insurance strategies.