Abstract:
Objective To study the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and sickness absence.
Methods A total of 3 553 employees from five kinds of workplaces in Beijing, Xiamen, Quanzhou, and Hohhot were selected by stratified cluster sampling and investigated with designed questionnaire. Gender-specific concentration indices were calculated to evaluate health equity. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the association between SES and sickness absence, and to determine if it could be explained by working or lifestyle factors.
Results The concentration indices, which were calculated according to high absence rate stratified by educational level and occupational group, were -0.151 and -0.134, respectively, in men, and -0.068 and -0.069, respectively, in women. After adjusting demographic, working, and lifestyle factors, compared with the employees at high educational level, the OR values (95%CI) of high absence for those at medium and low educational levels were 1.41 (1.06-1.88) and 1.91 (1.47-2.48), respectively. Compared with the administrator group, the OR value (95%CI) of high absence for the blue collar group was 1.40 (1.06-1.84).
Conclusion There is health inequity for employees of different SES categories, and men are more unequal than women on health equality. Working and lifestyle factors cannot fully explain the association between SES and sickness absence.
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