Socioeconomic determinants of long sickness absence affected by work, family, and personal health-related characteristics: A longitudinal study of the Japanese civil servants.

Objectives: Sickness absence is increasingly affecting society at different levels. This study explores how work, family, and personal health-related characteristics will contribute to socioeconomic status (SES) differences in future long sickness absence (7 days or more) with respect to sex differences.

Methods: A total of 1562 civil servants worked for the Local Japanese government and were considered from 2003 to 2014 for this study. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine whether there were employment-grade differences in long sickness absence after 11 years and whether such SES differences were associated with work, family, and personal health-related characteristics or sexes.

Results: Male low-grade employees had a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) for long sickness absence (age-adjusted OR = 1.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.04-2.95]). However, after adjustment for work characteristics, the association of significance disappeared (OR = 1.65, [0.96-2.84]). Female low-grade employees had a significantly lower OR for long sickness absence after 11 years (OR = 0.26, [0.08-0.86]). Male employees working long hours and male and female employees in high job demand take less sickness absence. Meanwhile, male employees working short hours take longer sickness absence.

Conclusions: This study showed that male employees at low grades take longer sickness absence than those at high grades; however, this was alleviated by work characteristics. Female employees at low grades take less sickness absence than those at high grades. Japanese female employees with low grades, male employees with long working hours, and both sexes with high job demands take less sickness absence, although they may be unhealthy because of work stress.