[Relationship of smoking to absenteeism due to illness and injury in male workers].

The relationship between smoking and absenteeism due to illness and injury was studied in 21,924 male workers employed in the chemical fiber industry in Japan. Smokers had a significantly higher incidence of absence than non-smokers. The proportion of cases of absence in smokers was 30% higher and the number of days of absence was 28% greater than in non-smokers. Ex-smokers also had a significantly higher incidence of absence than non-smokers. In ex-smokers the proportion of cases of absence was 22% higher and the number of days of absence was 68% greater than in non-smokers. Although there was no significant difference between smokers and non-smokers in the number of days of absence attributed to cardiovascular or respiratory diseases, smokers were absent for about twice as many days as non-smokers for diseases of the digestive system. For ex-smokers the number of days of absence was 4.3 times higher for cardiovascular diseases, 1.5 times higher for respiratory diseases, and 2.9 times higher for digestive system diseases than in non-smokers. After correction for age, type of work, Body Mass Index, exercise, and drinking by multiple logistic analysis significantly elevated relative risks for absence persisted both in smokers and ex-smokers vs. non-smokers at 1.4 and 1.3, respectively. Significant dose-response relationships between incidence of absence and the number of cigarettes smoked per day were observed in respiratory disease, diseases of the digestive system and all disease causes. A significant dose-response relationship between incidence of absence and smoking index was also observed for diseases of the digestive system. These findings clearly indicate that smoking by workers was associated with absence due to illness and injury, and suggest that smoking was a factor contributing to an increase in absenteeism due to illness and injury in workers.