Subjective cognitive complaints and sickness absence: A prospective cohort study of 7059 employees in primarily knowledge-intensive occupations
Knowledge-intensive work requires capabilities like monitoring multiple sources of information, prioritizing between competing tasks, switching between tasks, and resisting distraction from the primary task(s). We assessed whether subjective cognitive complaints (SCC), presenting as self-rated probl...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Preventive Medicine Reports |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335520300632 |
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| author | Minna Pihlajamäki Heikki Arola Heini Ahveninen Jyrki Ollikainen Mikko Korhonen Tapio Nummi Jukka Uitti Simo Taimela |
| author_facet | Minna Pihlajamäki Heikki Arola Heini Ahveninen Jyrki Ollikainen Mikko Korhonen Tapio Nummi Jukka Uitti Simo Taimela |
| author_sort | Minna Pihlajamäki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Knowledge-intensive work requires capabilities like monitoring multiple sources of information, prioritizing between competing tasks, switching between tasks, and resisting distraction from the primary task(s). We assessed whether subjective cognitive complaints (SCC), presenting as self-rated problems with difficulties of concentration, memory, clear thinking and decision making predict sickness absence (SA) in knowledge-intensive occupations. We combined SCC questionnaire results with reliable registry data on SA of 7743 professional/managerial employees (47% female). We excluded employees who were not active in working life, on long-term SA, and those on a work disability benefit at baseline. The exposure variable was the presence of SCC. Age and SA before the questionnaire as a proxy measure of general health were treated as confounders and the analyses were conducted by gender. The outcome measure was the accumulated SA days during a 12-month follow-up. We used a hurdle model to analyse the SA data. SCC predicted the number of SA days during the 12-month follow-up. The ratio of the means of SA days was higher than 2.8 as compared to the reference group, irrespective of gender, with the lowest limit of 95% confidence interval 2.2. In the Hurdle model, SCC, SA days prior to the questionnaire, and age were additive predictors of the likelihood of SA and accumulated SA days, if any. Subjective cognitive complaints predict sickness absence in knowledge-intensive occupations, irrespective of gender, age, or general health. This finding has implications for supporting work ability (productivity) among employees with cognitively demanding tasks. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:52:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4529fd0aef3f4984b23e0ec0ce7e89c5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2211-3355 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:52:25Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Preventive Medicine Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-4529fd0aef3f4984b23e0ec0ce7e89c52022-12-22T00:02:02ZengElsevierPreventive Medicine Reports2211-33552020-09-0119101103Subjective cognitive complaints and sickness absence: A prospective cohort study of 7059 employees in primarily knowledge-intensive occupationsMinna Pihlajamäki0Heikki Arola1Heini Ahveninen2Jyrki Ollikainen3Mikko Korhonen4Tapio Nummi5Jukka Uitti6Simo Taimela7Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Finland; Corresponding author at: Kalevantie 4, 33014 Tampere University, Europe.Terveystalo, Jaakonkatu 3b, 00100 Helsinki, FinlandTerveystalo, Jaakonkatu 3b, 00100 Helsinki, FinlandFaculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Tampere University, FinlandFaculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Tampere University, FinlandFaculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Tampere University, FinlandFaculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Finland; Clinic of Occupational Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, Finland; Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Tampere, FinlandClinicum, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, University of Helsinki, Finland; Evalua International, PO Box 35, FIN-02661 Espoo, FinlandKnowledge-intensive work requires capabilities like monitoring multiple sources of information, prioritizing between competing tasks, switching between tasks, and resisting distraction from the primary task(s). We assessed whether subjective cognitive complaints (SCC), presenting as self-rated problems with difficulties of concentration, memory, clear thinking and decision making predict sickness absence (SA) in knowledge-intensive occupations. We combined SCC questionnaire results with reliable registry data on SA of 7743 professional/managerial employees (47% female). We excluded employees who were not active in working life, on long-term SA, and those on a work disability benefit at baseline. The exposure variable was the presence of SCC. Age and SA before the questionnaire as a proxy measure of general health were treated as confounders and the analyses were conducted by gender. The outcome measure was the accumulated SA days during a 12-month follow-up. We used a hurdle model to analyse the SA data. SCC predicted the number of SA days during the 12-month follow-up. The ratio of the means of SA days was higher than 2.8 as compared to the reference group, irrespective of gender, with the lowest limit of 95% confidence interval 2.2. In the Hurdle model, SCC, SA days prior to the questionnaire, and age were additive predictors of the likelihood of SA and accumulated SA days, if any. Subjective cognitive complaints predict sickness absence in knowledge-intensive occupations, irrespective of gender, age, or general health. This finding has implications for supporting work ability (productivity) among employees with cognitively demanding tasks.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335520300632Subjective cognitive complaintsScreening questionnaireOccupational healthcareSelf-reported dataSickness allowanceRegister data |
| spellingShingle | Minna Pihlajamäki Heikki Arola Heini Ahveninen Jyrki Ollikainen Mikko Korhonen Tapio Nummi Jukka Uitti Simo Taimela Subjective cognitive complaints and sickness absence: A prospective cohort study of 7059 employees in primarily knowledge-intensive occupations Preventive Medicine Reports Subjective cognitive complaints Screening questionnaire Occupational healthcare Self-reported data Sickness allowance Register data |
| title | Subjective cognitive complaints and sickness absence: A prospective cohort study of 7059 employees in primarily knowledge-intensive occupations |
| title_full | Subjective cognitive complaints and sickness absence: A prospective cohort study of 7059 employees in primarily knowledge-intensive occupations |
| title_fullStr | Subjective cognitive complaints and sickness absence: A prospective cohort study of 7059 employees in primarily knowledge-intensive occupations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Subjective cognitive complaints and sickness absence: A prospective cohort study of 7059 employees in primarily knowledge-intensive occupations |
| title_short | Subjective cognitive complaints and sickness absence: A prospective cohort study of 7059 employees in primarily knowledge-intensive occupations |
| title_sort | subjective cognitive complaints and sickness absence a prospective cohort study of 7059 employees in primarily knowledge intensive occupations |
| topic | Subjective cognitive complaints Screening questionnaire Occupational healthcare Self-reported data Sickness allowance Register data |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335520300632 |
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