Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23223750›Full record

SynthesisOccupational medicine (Oxford, England)2013

Systematic review of active workplace interventions to reduce sickness absence.

M Odeen, L H Magnussen, S Maeland, L Larun, H R Eriksen, T H Tveito

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Occupational medicine (Oxford, England), 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
46citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

46 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Return to work in head and neck cancer survivors: a systematic review.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2023
    Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Evidence of Workplace Interventions-A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019
    Pooled it
  8. Pooled it
  9. Pooled it
  10. Pooled it
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Trial
  14. Trial
  15. Line manager perspectives on workplace-based efforts to reduce sickness absence: a qualitative study.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2025
    Article
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Absenteeism Among Healthcare Workers: Job Grade and Other Factors That Matter in Sickness Absence.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

M OdeenUni Health, Uni Research, Bergen, Norway.
L H Magnussen
S Maeland
L Larun
H R Eriksen
T H Tveito

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe workplace is used as a setting for interventions to prevent and reduce sickness absence, regardless of the specific medical conditions and diagnoses.

aimsTo give an overview of the general effectiveness of active workplace interventions aimed at preventing and reducing sickness absence.

methodsWe systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Psych-info, and ISI web of knowledge on 27 December 2011. Inclusion criteria were (i) participants over 18 years old with an active role in the intervention, (ii) intervention done partly or fully at the workplace or at the initiative of the workplace and (iii) sickness absence reported. Two reviewers independently screened articles, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. A narrative synthesis was used.

resultsWe identified 2036 articles of which, 93 were assessed in full text. Seventeen articles were included (2 with low and 15 with medium risk of bias), with a total of 24 comparisons. Five interventions from four articles significantly reduced sickness absence. We found moderate evidence that graded activity reduced sickness absence and limited evidence that the Sheerbrooke model (a comprehensive multidisciplinary intervention) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) reduced sickness absence. There was moderate evidence that workplace education and physical exercise did not reduce sickness absence. For other interventions, the evidence was insufficient to draw conclusions.

conclusionsThe review found limited evidence that active workplace interventions were not generally effective in reducing sickness absence, but there was moderate evidence of effect for graded activity and limited evidence for the effectiveness of the Sheerbrooke model and CBT.

Indexed as

AbsenteeismCognitive Behavioral TherapyOccupational HealthOccupational Health ServicesReturn to WorkSick LeaveWorkplaceExerciseHealth EducationHumans

Identifiers

PMID23223750
PMCPMC3537115

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.