Sickness absence trajectories following labour market participation patterns: a cohort study in Catalonia (Spain), 2012-2014

Abstract

Background Previous studies have investigated the relationship between employment pathways and health-related outcomes based on cross-sectional or longitudinal approaches. However, little is known about the cumulative effects of employment status mobility on sickness absence (SA) over time. The present study aims to examine the association between prior labour market participation (LMP) patterns and SA trajectories from a life course perspective.Methods Cohort study based on a sample of 11,968 salaried workers affiliated with the Spanish Social Security system, who accumulated more than 15 days on SA at least in one quarter during 2012-2014. Individuals were grouped into three different working life stages: early (18-25 years), middle (26-35 years) and late (36-45 years). Sequence analysis and cluster analysis were applied to identify LMP patterns (2002-2011). Latent class growth modelling was used to identify SA trajectories (2012-2014). Finally, multinomial logistic regression models were applied to assess the relationship between LMP patterns and SA trajectories.Results First, seven LMP patterns were obtained: stable employment (63%-81%), increasing employment (5%-22%), without long-term coverage (7%-8%), decreasing employment (4%-10%), fluctuant employment (13%-14%), steeply inflow into unemployment (9%), and steeply labour market exit (7%-9%). Second, four SA trajectories were identified: low stable (values range: 83%-88%), decreasing (5%-9%), increasing (5%-11%) and high stable (7%-16%). Third, no significant associations were observed among LMP patterns and SA trajectories, except for young men, where an increasing employment pattern was significantly associated with a lower risk to increase days on SA (aOR: 0.21 [95% CI: 0.04-0.96]).Conclusions SA trajectories are not related to prior 10-year LMP patterns at any stage of working life. To disentangle this relationship, future research might benefit from considering working life transitions with a quality of work approach framed with contextual factors closer to the SA course.

Correction to: Sickness absence trajectories following labour market participation patterns: a cohort study in Catalonia (Spain), 2012–2014

“…It was highlighted that in the original article [ 1 ] the legends of Figs. 1 and 2 were interchanged.…”