scholarly journals Socioeconomic differences in paid sickness allowances in Finland

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Blomgren ◽  
S Jäppinen ◽  
J Pekkala ◽  
O Rahkonen
Keyword(s):  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Social Insurance ◽  
Socioeconomic Differences ◽  
Occupational Class ◽  
Occupational Groups ◽  
Socioeconomic Groups ◽  
Lower Socioeconomic ◽  
The Social ◽  
Working Age ◽  
Opposite Manner

Abstract Background Receipt of sickness allowance (SA), which in the Finnish benefit system functions as compensation for loss of income due to over 10-days-long sickness absence, is more prevalent in lower socioeconomic groups. As SA is an earnings-related benefit and higher occupational classes have on average higher previous income, their share of SA expenditure must be higher than their share of SA days would suggest. However, the allocation of SA costs to different socioeconomic groups is not known. The aim of this study was to compare occupational classes in terms of their shares of total paid SA days and SA benefit costs. Methods We used register data covering the total working-age (16-64) employed population of Finland at the end of 2016 (N = 2.2 million), with linked data on paid sickness allowances during 2017. Yearly accumulated sickness allowance days and allowance costs, paid by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, were calculated for upper and lower non-manual employees, manual workers and self-employed persons. Results Of the total yearly SA days of the employed population, 13% were paid to upper non-manual employees, 40% to lower non-manual employees, 37% to manual workers and 10% to the self-employed (the respective shares of these occupational classes of the employed population were 23%, 36%, 30% and 11 %). The average gross allowance was 77€ per day among upper non-manuals and between 54€ and 60€ in the other groups. Accordingly, upper non-manuals accounted for a larger share of the SA costs compared to their share of SA days: the proportions of costs were 16%, 39%, 36% and 9% in each occupational class, respectively. Conclusions The results show that as the average amount of daily sickness allowance is distributed in an opposite manner compared to the prevalence and length of sickness allowance spells, socioeconomic differences in sickness allowance costs are smaller than differences in the prevalence of sickness allowance. Key messages Upper non-manual employees have a lower prevalence of sickness absence and shorter spells than other occupational groups. Because of higher earnings-related sickness allowance among upper non-manual employees, their share of sickness allowance costs is higher than their share of sickness allowance days.

scholarly journals Increase in sickness absence due to mental disorders in Finland: trends by gender, age and diagnostic group in 2005–2019

2021 ◽  
pp. 140349482199370
Author(s):  
Jenni Blomgren ◽  
Riku Perhoniemi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Social Insurance ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Diagnostic Group ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
The Social ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Working Age

Aims: Mental disorders are among the key public health challenges and cause a significant share of sickness absence. The aim of this study was to examine gender and age-specific trends in sickness absence in Finland among non-retired persons aged 16–67 years during 2005–2019 by main diagnostic groups. Special focus was put on the development of sickness absence due to mental and behavioural disorders. Methods: Data on compensated sickness allowance days were retrieved from the database of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, and data on the non-retired population aged 16–67 years from the database of Statistics Finland for years 2005–2019. Yearly age-standardised sickness absence rates (yearly sickness absence days per each person in the population at risk) according to diagnostic group were calculated for women and men in age groups 16–34, 35–49 and 50–67 years. Results: A steep increase in sickness absence due to mental disorders was observed between 2016 and 2019 in all age groups among both genders, but the increase was more prominent among women. The age group 16–34 years also showed a longer-term gradual increase. In all examined gender and age groups, the increase was mainly a consequence of an increase in sickness absence due to depression and anxiety disorders. Conclusions: Increase in sickness absence due to mental disorders is an early sign of threats to work ability and productivity of the working-age population. Several factors may simultaneously drive the development. The specific reasons for the recent trend need to be studied.

Physicians’ experiences with sickness absence certification in Finland

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 859-866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katariina Hinkka ◽  
Mikko Niemelä ◽  
Ilona Autti-Rämö ◽  
Heikki Palomäki
Keyword(s):  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Social Insurance ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Practice Setting ◽  
Sickness Certification ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Know How ◽  
Rehabilitation System ◽  
Clinical Practice Setting ◽  
Working Age

Aims: The aim of this study was to explore Finnish physicians’ perceptions of sickness absence (SA) certification. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 50% of the physicians in Finland who provide care to working-age patients in a clinical practice setting. Of the 8867 physicians, 3089 responded. Physicians handling SA certification patients at least a few times per month were included ( n = 2472). Results: At least a few times per month, 61% of all physicians perceived SA issues as problematic, 60% had experienced a lack of time in dealing with SA matters, 36% had disagreed with a patient on SA certification, and 36% had met a patient who wanted a SA certificate for reasons other than a disease or injury. Physicians were least worried about patients filing complaints (4%), exhibiting threatening behaviour (2%), or switching physicians for SA certification reasons (1%). A total of 60% of physicians had prescribed SA for a longer period than necessary because of long waiting times for further care/measures. Non-specialized physicians, general practitioners, and psychiatrists experienced problems more frequently than surgeons and occupational health physicians. Over 50% of the respondents had a fairly large or very large need to deepen their knowledge of social insurance matters. The need for national guidelines for all or some diseases was reported by 80% of the respondents. Conclusions: Many physicians perceive SA tasks as problematic and are unable to dedicate enough time to them. Shortcomings in physicians’ sickness certification know-how, as well as obstacles in the healthcare and rehabilitation system, prolong the SA process. Attitudes towards the adoption of national guidelines on the duration of SA were positive.

scholarly journals Progress in reducing inequalities in cardiovascular disease mortality in Europe

Heart ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Di Girolamo ◽  
Wilma J Nusselder ◽  
Matthias Bopp ◽  
Henrik Brønnum-Hansen ◽  
Giuseppe Costa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Mortality ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Occupational Class ◽  
Socioeconomic Groups ◽  
Baltic Countries ◽  
Lower Socioeconomic ◽  
Disease Mortality ◽  
Important Challenge ◽  
European Health

ObjectiveTo assess whether recent declines in cardiovascular mortality have benefited all socioeconomic groups equally and whether these declines have narrowed or widened inequalities in cardiovascular mortality in Europe.MethodsIn this prospective registry-based study, we determined changes in cardiovascular mortality between the 1990s and the early 2010s in 12 European populations by gender, educational level and occupational class. In order to quantify changes in the magnitude of differences in mortality, we calculated both ratio measures of relative inequalities and difference measures of absolute inequalities.ResultsCardiovascular mortality has declined rapidly among lower and higher socioeconomic groups. Relative declines (%) were faster among higher socioeconomic groups; absolute declines (deaths per 100 000 person-years) were almost uniformly larger among lower socioeconomic groups. Therefore, although relative inequalities increased over time, absolute inequalities often declined substantially on all measures used. Similar trends were seen for ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease mortality separately. Best performer was England and Wales, which combined large declines in cardiovascular mortality with large reductions in absolute inequalities and stability in relative inequalities in both genders. In the early 2010s, inequalities in cardiovascular mortality were smallest in Southern Europe, of intermediate magnitude in Northern and Western Europe and largest in Central-Eastern European and Baltic countries.ConclusionsLower socioeconomic groups have experienced remarkable declines in cardiovascular mortality rates over the last 25 years, and trends in inequalities can be qualified as favourable overall. Nevertheless, further reducing inequalities remains an important challenge for European health systems and policies.

scholarly journals Sickness absence during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 11-24
Author(s):  
Bartosz Kobuszewski
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Social Insurance ◽  
Sickness Benefit ◽  
Social Insurance Institution ◽  
Research Material ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sickness Benefits ◽  
Subsequent Wave

The aim of this research was to perform comparative analysis of the publicly avaiable data of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) on sickness absence of insured persons in Poland in 2016-2021 (before the outbreak and during the COVID-19 pandemic). Materials and methods. The research material consisted of data from the Social Insurance Institution for the years 2016-2021 (Q1) concerning the sickness absence of the insured. Due to the publication of data in an aggregated form, quantitative analysis was performed instead of statistical analysis. The data used in the analysis included the number of insured persons, the number of people receiving sickness benefits, the number of issued medical certificates on temporary incapacity to work and the reasons for the incapacity to work. Results and Conclusion. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, following numbers have increased compared to 2019: the number of people receiving sickness benefit in Poland (by 10%), the number of days of sickness absence (by 7%) and the number of issued medical certificates of temporary incapacity for work (by 4%). The largest increase in the number of beneficiaries, the number of days of sickness absence and the number of medical certificates was recorded in the Q4 of 2020 (respectively by 21%, 16% and 24% compared to Q4 of 2019). Due to COVID-19, 4.84 million days of sickness absence were used in 2020 – it was the tenth cause of absence. The largest changes in the number of people receiving sickness benefit and the number of days of sickness absence can be observed in Q1 and Q4, which may result from the seasonality of COVID-19 and the subsequent wave of infections. Importantly, COVID-19 is not the only factor contributing overall increase in the number of days of sickness absence in Poland – absence due to non-communicable diseases also increased during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Sensitivity analysis of the infection transmissibility in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e10992
Author(s):  
Pardis Biglarbeigi ◽  
Kok Yew Ng ◽  
Dewar Finlay ◽  
Raymond Bond ◽  
Min Jing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Reproduction Number ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Occupational Groups ◽  
The Social ◽  
Working Age ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Special Circumstances ◽  
Local Reproduction

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak started in December 2019 and rapidly spread around the world affecting millions of people. With the growth of infection rate, many countries adopted different policies to control the spread of the disease. The UK implemented strict rules instructing individuals to stay at home except in some special circumstances starting from 23 March 2020. Accordingly, this study focuses on sensitivity analysis of transmissibility of the infection as the effects of removing restrictions, for example by returning different occupational groups to their normal working environment and its effect on the reproduction number in the UK. For this reason, available social contact matrices are adopted for the population of UK to account for the average number of contacts. Different scenarios are then considered to analyse the variability of total contacts on the reproduction number in the UK as a whole and each of its four nations. Our data-driven retrospective analysis shows that if more than 38.5% of UK working-age population return to their normal working environment, the reproduction number in the UK is expected to be higher than 1. However, analysis of each nation, separately, shows that local reproduction number in each nation may be different and requires more adequate analysis. Accordingly, we believe that using statistical methods and historical data can provide good estimation of local transmissibility and reproduction number in any region. As a consequence of this analysis, efforts to reduce the restrictions should be implemented locally via different control policies. It is important that these policies consider the social contacts, population density, and the occupational groups that are specific to each region.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic Inequalities in Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Turkey, 2008-2016

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
E Erkoyun ◽  
J P Mackenbach
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Turkish Population ◽  
Occupational Class ◽  
Relative Index ◽  
Socioeconomic Groups ◽  
Lower Socioeconomic ◽  
Index Of Inequality ◽  
Education Groups

Abstract Background This study aims to investigate the magnitude of occupational class (OC) and educational inequalities in cardiovascular risk factors in Turkey from 2008 to 2016. Methods We used the Turkey Health Survey, a bi-annual health interview survey among a representative sample of the Turkish population. We calculated the age-standardized prevalence of four cardiovascular risk factors (obesity, overweight, hypertension, diabetes and smoking) by OC and education, and summarized inequalities with the Relative Index of Inequality (RII) and Slope Index of Inequality (SII). To determine whether the RII/SII changed over time we estimated a regression model with an interaction term between survey year and OC/education. Results We found different patterns for men and women. Among men, smoking was the only risk factor with a higher prevalence in both lower OC and education groups (RII = 1.18 (95% CI: 1.08-1.28) and 1.40 (1.26-1.55), respectively). Obesity, overweight and diabetes was higher among higher OC (e.g., for overweight RII = 0.83, 95% CI 0.76-0.90) whereas obesity was higher among lower educated (RII = 1.32, (95% CI: 1.08-1.61)) and no inequalities were found for hypertension by socioeconomic status. However, among women, all risk factors except smoking had a higher prevalence in lower OC and education groups (e.g., for overweight RII = 1.14 (1.06-1.24) and 2.98 (2.71-3.29), respectively), whereas for smoking we found a higher prevalence in higher socioeconomic groups (RII for OC = 0.77 (95% CI: 0.65-0.90 and for education = 0.36 (0.29-0.44)). Significant interactions with survey year were only found in a few cases, mainly pointing to emergence or widening of inequalities to the disadvantage of lower socioeconomic groups. Conclusions Inequalities in cardiovascular risk factors are less systematic in Turkey than in most high-income countries, but if current trends continue similar inequalities will emerge in the near future. Key messages In Turkey, in men obesity, overweight and diabetes are concentrated among higher occupational classes, obesity is concentrated among lower education groups and lower socioeconomic groups smoke more. In Turkey, in women obesity, overweight, hypertension and diabetes are concentrated among lower socioeconomic groups however higher socioeconomic groups smoke more.

Prescription patterns in preventive and abortive migraine medication

Cephalalgia ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 31 (16) ◽  
pp. 1659-1663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marja-Liisa Sumelahti ◽  
Kari Mattila ◽  
Lauri Sillanmäki ◽  
Markku Sumanen
Keyword(s):  
Social Insurance ◽  
Population Based ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Prescription Patterns ◽  
The Social ◽  
Preventive Medication ◽  
Counter Medication ◽  
Working Age ◽  
Male Patients ◽  
Prescription Practice

Background: Migraine is considered a common but under-diagnosed and untreated condition. Treatment patterns have pointed at frequent over-the-counter medication use and low use of preventive therapies. Studies exploring migraine prescription practice among doctors are few. Methods: A population-based study was carried out to examine the prescription practice in the use of acute and preventive migraine medications. The data covered 4864 working-age people reporting they have been diagnosed with migraine. Data on reimbursed prescription medicines from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2006 were drawn from the registers of the Social Insurance Institute of Finland and compared with age- and sex-matched controls. Results: Anti-inflammatory analgesics were prescribed for 71% of female and 62% of male migraine patients vs. 56% and 50% of controls. Triptans were prescribed for 21% of female and 10% of male patients. Combinations of analgesics and muscle relaxants were offered to 37% of female and 29% of male patients vs. 26% and 21% of controls, and antidepressants to 19% of women and 14% of men vs. 13% and 9% of controls. Conclusion: Although use of preventive medication among migraineurs was high, the prescription patterns in acute treatments showed that NSAIDS were used more often than triptans. Assimilation of national guidelines to treat migraine published in 2002 in Finland was not reflected in the prescription patterns up to 2006.

scholarly journals Incidence and Length of Sickness Absence among Hierarchical Occupational Classes and Non-Wage-Earners: A Register Study of 1.6 Million Finns

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 501
Author(s):  
Jenni Blomgren ◽  
Sauli Jäppinen
Keyword(s):  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Social Insurance ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Negative Binomial Regression ◽  
Socioeconomic Groups ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Employee Groups ◽  
Demographic Covariates ◽  
Wage Earners ◽  
The Unemployed

Socioeconomic differences in sickness absence are well known, but previous studies have tended to focus on wage earners only. This study examined incidence and length of sickness absence comparing the employee groups of upper and lower non-manual employees and manual workers, but also entrepreneurs, the unemployed and other non-wage-earners. The study utilized register data on a nationally representative 70% sample of Finns aged 25–62 at the end of year 2012 (N = 1,615,352). Sickness absence spells compensated by sickness allowance and initiated during 2013 were retrieved from the register of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (SIIF) and followed until the end of each episode and linked to socio-demographic covariates collected from the registers of the SIIF and of Statistics Finland. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression was used in multivariate models. After adjusting for age, marital status, region and income, there were clear differences in the occurrence and length of sickness absence across socioeconomic groups. Compared to upper non-manual employees, lower non-manual employees and especially manual workers had higher cumulative annual incidence of sickness absence among both men and women, but the entrepreneurs, the unemployed and other non-wage-earners had a clearly higher expected number of sickness absence days. Results varied by diagnostic group. The results highlight the importance of different types of preventive measures for reducing the occurrence of sickness absence and for preventing prolongations of sickness absence spells in different socioeconomic groups.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document