Occupational Medicine Advance Access originally published online on June 27, 2008
Occupational Medicine 2008 58(7):506-508; doi:10.1093/occmed/kqn084
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Short Reports |
Sickness absence for upper limb disorders in a French company
1 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U687, Bâtiment 15-16, 16 Avenue Paul Vaillant Couturier, 94807 Villejuif Cedex, France
2 Service Général de Médecine de Contrôle, EDF-Gaz de France, 22-28 rue de Joubert, 75009 Paris, France
Background Many studies have shown that musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have important economic and social consequences, including substantial costs and loss of productivity for industries. However, little is known about the impact of these conditions on sickness absence in industries.
Aim To describe the sickness absence taken for MSDs of the upper limb (ULD) in a French company and to study their association with demographic and socioeconomic factors.
Methods Sickness absence from 2000 to 2004 (5543 episodes) was studied using data from the company's epidemiology registry and a questionnaire for each episode was completed by physicians. Incidence rates were calculated according to the gender, socioeconomic status and age.
Results The incidence rate of absence for ULD was six episodes per 1000 person-years. Rotator cuff syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome were the most frequent diagnoses. Less frequent diagnoses, such as Guyon's canal syndrome, had longer sickness absence (55.3 days). Incidence was higher for women and blue-collar workers. Incidence also increased with age.
Conclusions These results are consistent with other studies. Although absenteeism cannot be a surrogate for disease burden or incidence, it may be useful in the prevention of ULD, as it identifies the most disabling diagnoses and the working groups most at risk.
Keywords Carpal tunnel syndrome; industry; rotator cuff; sickness absence; upper limb disorder
Correspondence to: Kayigan Wilson d'Almeida, INSERM U687, Bâtiment 15-16, 16 Avenue Paul Vaillant Couturier, 94807 Villejuif Cedex, France. Tel: +33 6 16254971; fax: +33 1 77747403; e-mail: kayialmeida{at}hotmail.com