Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40021195›Full record

Observational studyBMJ open2025

Occupational-class trends in diagnosis-specific sickness absence in Finland: a register-based observational study in 2011-2021.

Jenni Blomgren, Riku Perhoniemi

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. 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

2 authors.

Jenni BlomgrenThe Social Insurance Institution, Helsinki, Finland jenni.blomgren@kela.fi.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5466-0205
Riku PerhoniemiThe Social Insurance Institution, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3199-3952

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo examine the prevalence and days of long-term sickness absence (LTSA) by occupational class and by most important diagnostic groups in Finland during 2011-2021.

designPopulation-based cross-sectional study. SETTING AND

participantsNational comprehensive register data were linked for all employed persons and entrepreneurs in Finland aged 25-64 for years 2011-2021 (yearly number of individuals in the study population around 2 million persons).

main outcome measuresLTSA was measured by sickness allowance that covers over 10-day long absences. Yearly age-standardised LTSA prevalences and average number of LTSA days were calculated for women and men in four occupational classes, separately for all-cause LTSA and LTSA due to mental disorders, musculoskeletal diseases and injuries. Modified Poisson regression and negative binomial regression models were run to assess relative differences between occupational classes, adjusted for age, marital status, education and region of residence.

resultsAll-cause LTSA slightly decreased between years 2011 and 2021, but the trends varied by occupational class and diagnostic group. LTSA due to mental disorders increased in all occupational classes after 2016 among both sexes, while LTSA due to musculoskeletal diseases and injuries continued to decrease in all occupational classes. The increase in LTSA due to mental disorders was largest among lower non-manual employees, especially among women, whereby all-cause LTSA prevalence among female lower non-manual employees reached the level of female manual workers. Men showed broadly similar trends, but manual workers still had the highest all-cause LTSA prevalence at the end of the study period. The main results were similar adjusted for covariates.

conclusionsThe magnitude and order of the occupational-class differences in LTSA changed between 2011 and 2021, along with increasing LTSA due to mental disorders, especially among employees, and decreasing LTSA due to somatic diagnoses, especially among manual workers. Occupational-class differences should be taken into account when aiming to prevent LTSA and especially further increases in LTSA due to mental disorders.

Indexed as

AbsenteeismMental DisordersOccupationsSick LeaveAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleFinlandHumansMaleMiddle AgedMusculoskeletal DiseasesPrevalenceRegistriesEPIDEMIOLOGYMENTAL HEALTHOCCUPATIONAL & INDUSTRIAL MEDICINESOCIAL MEDICINE

Identifiers

PMID40021195
PMCPMC11873343

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.