[Smoking behavior of workers--occupational disability and economic sequelae. A prospective study].

A prospective study concerning the influence of smoking on duration and frequency of certified sickness absence due to illness or accident and due to respiratory diseases in particular was carried out in a production plant from 1981 to 1984. The results show, that the mean duration of sickness absence due to illness and accident during a year is not in relation to smoking habit. The frequency of sickness absence due to illness and accident as well as to respiratory disease in smokers was significantly higher (p less than 0.05) than in non-smokers. The frequency of visits of male smokers at surgery hours was assessed to be significantly higher in relation to male non-smokers; in females we found an inverted relation. Higher frequency of smokers sickness absence could be expressed in economic terms.