Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Department of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
BMC Public Health. 2023 Jan 29;23(1):195. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15115-x.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused difficulties and changes in many aspects of people's health and lives. Although infection affected work capacity, during the first wave policies for sick leave due to COVID-19 were unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of sick leave diagnoses in the year before the COVID-19 diagnosis on sick leave duration due to COVID-19 in a nationwide non-hospitalised population.
Data from three Swedish registries were analysed for sick leave commencing between 1 March and 31 August 2020, with a follow-up period of 4 months. Sick leave due to COVID-19 was considered the number of days that sickness benefits were used and included at least one registered COVID-19 diagnosis. Sick leave in the year before COVID-19 diagnosis were categorised into five diagnostic groups and one reference group (participants without prior sick leave).
The study comprised 8935 individuals who received sickness benefits due to COVID-19 in Sweden during the first pandemic wave (mean age 46.7 years, 67% females, and 24% had diagnoses for sick leave in the year before COVID-19 diagnosis). The duration of sick leave due to COVID-19 was significantly higher in the groups with prior sick leave owing to musculoskeletal system diseases (odds ratio [OR]: 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.15); respiratory system diseases (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.14-1.31); all other isolated diagnoses (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03-1.14); and multiple diagnoses (OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.21-1.43).
The results of this nationwide registry-based study indicate that individuals with premorbid conditions are more prone to longer sick leave durations due to COVID-19. Prediction of sick leave duration during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is complex and several factors played a role.
COVID-19 大流行给人们的健康和生活的许多方面带来了困难和变化。尽管感染影响了工作能力，但在第一波疫情期间，COVID-19 病假政策并不明确。本研究旨在调查在 COVID-19 诊断前一年因其他疾病诊断而请病假对非住院人群因 COVID-19 而请病假的持续时间的影响。
对 2020 年 3 月 1 日至 8 月 31 日期间开始的、随访期为 4 个月的瑞典三个登记处的数据进行了分析。因 COVID-19 而请病假被认为是使用病假津贴的天数，并包括至少一个登记的 COVID-19 诊断。在 COVID-19 诊断前一年的病假被分为五个诊断组和一个参照组（无先前病假的参与者）。
该研究共纳入 8935 名在瑞典第一波大流行期间因 COVID-19 而获得病假津贴的个体（平均年龄 46.7 岁，女性占 67%，24%在 COVID-19 诊断前一年有因其他疾病而请病假的诊断）。与肌肉骨骼系统疾病（比值比 [OR]：1.08，95%置信区间 [CI]：1.01-1.15）、呼吸系统疾病（OR：1.22，95% CI：1.14-1.31）、所有其他孤立诊断（OR：1.08，95% CI：1.03-1.14）和多种诊断（OR：1.32，95% CI：1.21-1.43）相关的先前病假组的 COVID-19 病假持续时间显著更长。
这项基于全国登记的研究结果表明，有先前疾病的个体更容易因 COVID-19 而请更长时间的病假。对 COVID-19 大流行第一波期间的病假持续时间的预测较为复杂，有几个因素发挥了作用。
