Commuting time and sickness absence in China: Rural/urban variations and Hukou impacts

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-95
Author(s):  
Murong Guo ◽  
Kuang Tang ◽  
Zicheng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Social Health Insurance ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Housing Provision ◽  
Rural Migrants ◽  
Hukou System ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Commuting Time ◽  
Matched Data

This article addresses three main issues: the relationship between commute time and sickness absence, the heterogeneity of the commuting–absenteeism effect between rural migrants and urban citizens, and the effect of China’s Hukou system on the commuting–absenteeism effect. It applies a unique set of employer–employee matched data in China and a zero-inflated negative binomial model. We find clear evidence that a longer commuting time contributes to an increase in sickness absence. The heterogeneity of the commuting–absenteeism effect can also be confirmed: longer commuting leads to higher absence rates for urban citizens but not for rural migrants. Furthermore, we explore the effect of commuting on a set of health-related outcomes. The estimations demonstrate that commuting time has a significant impact on health-related outcomes for both migrants and urban citizens, but unequal access to housing provision and to social health insurance in the Hukou system may mean that rural migrants resort to more informal medical services and thus lack access to the official sickness certificate required to seek legal sickness absence. We recommend accelerated reform of the Hukou system to encourage rural workers to seek appropriate and timely medical services, thereby reducing public health risks. JEL Codes: I12, I14, J83, N35, N75

Commuting time and Sickness Absence: Evidence from China

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zicheng Wang ◽  
Jiachun Liu ◽  
Murong Guo
Keyword(s):  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Employee Survey ◽  
Heterogeneous Effects ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Commuting Time ◽  
Gender Pattern ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Most of employees in urban China have experienced a heavy commuting burden ，which has become an urgent issue that should be solved in the process of promoting the new urbanization strategy. However, not only has the exploration of relationship between commuting and sickness absence been still scant in China, but also there is no discussion made to analyze the mechanism linking the commuting time and sickness absence. To address these gaps, this study firstly investigates the commuting-absence effect as well as the potential transmission channel between them. Methods: Using a unique dataset of 2013 Matched Employer-Employee Survey (CMEES) in China, we apply the zero-inflated negative binomial model to explore the nexus between the commuting and sickness absence. To discuss the potential mechanism linking commuting and sickness absence in the context of China, the estimations of the impact of the commuting on health-related outcomes and work efforts are performed to confirm transmission channels of commute-absence effect by the OLS and Logit regression model. Results: The empirical results reveal that a longer commute has a positive effect on sickness absences, while it is still robust against several specifications. More importantly, the commuting-absence effect is mainly transmitted through health-related outcomes of employees, whereas we cannot find evidence that the effect is transmitted through shirking behavior s. Additionally, the heterogeneous effects of commuting-absence are differentiated across Hukou status, gender, pattern of commuter travel, scale of cities and types of enterprises . Conclusion: The long commute induces to lower productivities through the sickness absence, that is, the longer journey from home to work is positively related with the increasing sickness absence, which keeps in consistency with previous studies. And the potential effect of commute-sickness absence is mainly transmitted through their health-related outcomes.

scholarly journals Linkage between commuting time and sickness absence in the context of China: transmission channels and heterogeneous effects

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
zicheng wang ◽  
Jiachun Liu ◽  
Murong Guo
Keyword(s):  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Employee Survey ◽  
Heterogeneous Effects ◽  
Commute Time ◽  
Transportation Modes ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Commuting Time

Abstract Background Most of employees in urban China have experienced a heavy commuting burden,which has become an urgent issue that should be solved in the process of new urbanization strategy. However, not only has the exploration of relationship between the commuting and sickness absence been still scant in China, but also there is no discussion made to analyze the mechanism linking the commuting time and sickness absence. To address these gaps, this study firstly investigates the commuting-absence effect as well as the potential transmission channel between them. Methods Using a unique dataset of 2013 Matched Employer-Employee Survey (CMEES) in China, we apply the zero-inflated negative binomial model to explore the nexus between the commuting and sickness absence. To discuss the potential mechanism linking commuting and sickness absence in the context of China, the estimations of the commuting on health-related outcomes and work efforts are performed by the OLS and Logit regression to discuss the mechanism. Results The empirical results reveal that the commute has a positive effect on sickness absence, while it is still robust against several specifications. More importantly, the commuting-absence effect is mainly transmitted through health-related outcomes of employees, whereas we find no clear evidence supporting the shirking behaviors. Additionally, the heterogeneous effects of commuting-absence are differentiated across the Hukou status, gender, transportation modes, scale of cities and types of enterprises. Conclusion The longer commute induces to lower productivities through the sickness absence, that is, the longer journey from home to work is positively related with the increasing sickness absence, which keeps in consistency with previous studies. And the potential effect of commute-sickness absence is mainly transmitted through their health-related outcomes. Additionally, the impacts of commute time on sickness absence are differentiated across the Hukou status, gender, transportation modes, scale of cities and types of enterprise.

scholarly journals Association Between Commuting Time and Sickness Absence in the Context of China: Transmission Channels and Heterogeneous Effects

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wang Zicheng ◽  
Liu Jiachun ◽  
MURONG GUO
Keyword(s):  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Employee Survey ◽  
Medical Expenses ◽  
Heterogeneous Effects ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Commuting Time ◽  
Unique Dataset ◽  
New Urbanization

Abstract Background: Most of employees in urban China have experienced a heavy commuting burden，which has become an urgent issue that should be solved in the process of new urbanization strategy. However, not only has the exploration of relationship between the commuting and sickness absence been still scant in China, but also there is no discussion made to analyze the mechanism linking the commuting time and sickness absence. To address these gaps, this study firstly investigates the commuting-absence linkage as well as the potential transmission channel between them.Methods: Using a unique dataset of 2013 Matched Employer-Employee Survey (CMEES) in China, current study apply the zero-inflated negative binomial model to explore the association.Results: Long commute is significantly related with increased sickness absence. A longer commuting is associated with poorer self-rated health status and a higher degree of psychological depression, and it also is highly related with an increase of their BMI index, annual medical expenses as well as the risk of obesity. However, the commuting is not correlated with the overtime length and probability of overtime. Conclusion: The longer commute induces to lower productivities through the increased sickness absence, and the potential linkage of commute-sickness absence is mainly transmitted through their health-related outcomes.

scholarly journals Linkage between commuting time and sickness absence in the context of China: transmission channels and heterogeneous effects

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wang Zicheng ◽  
Liu Jiachun ◽  
Murong Guo
Keyword(s):  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Employee Survey ◽  
Heterogeneous Effects ◽  
Commute Time ◽  
Transportation Modes ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Commuting Time

Abstract Background Most of employees in urban China have experienced a heavy commuting burden,which has become an urgent issue that should be solved in the process of new urbanization strategy. However, not only has the exploration of relationship between the commuting and sickness absence been still scant in China, but also there is no discussion made to analyze the mechanism linking the commuting time and sickness absence. To address these gaps, this study firstly investigates the commuting-absence effect as well as the potential transmission channel between them. Methods Using a unique dataset of 2013 Matched Employer-Employee Survey (CMEES) in China, we apply the zero-inflated negative binomial model to explore the nexus between the commuting and sickness absence. To discuss the potential mechanism linking commuting and sickness absence in the context of China, the estimations of the commuting on health-related outcomes and work efforts are performed by the OLS and Logit regression to discuss the mechanism. Results The empirical results reveal that the commute has a positive effect on sickness absence, while it is still robust against several specifications. More importantly, the commuting-absence effect is mainly transmitted through health-related outcomes of employees, whereas we find no clear evidence supporting the shirking behaviors. Additionally, the heterogeneous effects of commuting-absence are differentiated across the Hukou status, gender, transportation modes, scale of cities and types of enterprises. Conclusion The longer commute induces to lower productivities through the sickness absence, that is, the longer journey from home to work is positively related with the increasing sickness absence, which keeps in consistency with previous studies. And the potential effect of commute-sickness absence is mainly transmitted through their health-related outcomes. Additionally, the impacts of commute time on sickness absence are differentiated across the Hukou status, gender, transportation modes, scale of cities and types of enterprise.

scholarly journals Perceived gender discrimination at work and subsequent long-term sickness absence among Finnish employed women

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-316
Author(s):  
Marjut Pietiläinen ◽  
Jouko Nätti ◽  
Satu Ojala
Keyword(s):  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Employed Women ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Rate Ratios

Abstract Background Discrimination has many kinds of consequences for employees and their well-being. This is an important aspect when considering certain issues, such as the need to prolong working careers. The objective of this study is to investigate the association of perceived gender discrimination at work with subsequent long-term sickness absence among Finnish employed women. Methods We used a representative sample of Finnish employed women (n = 8000) merged with register-based follow-up data. We examined the relationships of control variables with gender discrimination using cross tabulation, and the relationships of the controls with subsequent sickness absences were examined using analyses of variance. The effects of gender discrimination on long-term sickness absence were analysed using a negative binomial model. Results Perceived gender discrimination increased long-term sickness absence among employed women after controlling for age discrimination, various background, work and health-related factors. Employed women reporting perceived gender discrimination had a 1.4-times higher incidence rate ratios (IRR) of long-term sickness absence than those not reporting perceived gender discrimination. The association was strongest among upper-level socioeconomic group (IRR 2.2) in the adjusted model. Conclusions Our findings suggest that gender discrimination at work is a risk factor for long sickness absence among women. Therefore, it is essential to increase awareness and prevention of discrimination to reduce negative gender-based treatment at work.

scholarly journals Sickness absence and disability pension after carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis: A register-based study of patients and matched references in Sweden

2021 ◽  
pp. 140349482110027
Author(s):  
Tea Lallukka ◽  
Rahman Shiri ◽  
Kristina Alexanderson ◽  
Jenni Ervasti ◽  
Ellenor Mittendorfer-Rutz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Carpal Tunnel ◽  
Disability Pension ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Negative Binomial Regression ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Tunnel Syndrome

Aims: The aim of this study was to examine sickness absence and disability pension (SA/DP) during working lifespan among individuals diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and their matched references, accounting for sociodemographic factors. Methods: We used a register cohort of 78,040 individuals aged 19–60 years when diagnosed with CTS in secondary health care (hospitals and outpatient specialist health care) and their 390,199 matched references from the general population in 2001–2010. Sociodemographic factors and SA/DP net days during a three-year follow-up were included. Negative binomial regression was used. Results: For those not on DP at inclusion, the average number of SA/DP days per person-year was 58 days (95% confidence interval (CI) 56–60 days) among individuals with CTS and 20 days (95% CI 19–21 days) among the matched references. Among both groups, these numbers increased with age and were higher among women than among men. The rate ratio (RR) of SA/DP days was threefold higher among people with CTS than among the matched references (adjusted RR=3.00, 95% CI 2.91–3.10) Moreover, compared to the matched references, the RR for SA/DP was higher among men with CTS (RR=3.86, 95% CI 3.61–4.13) than among women with CTS (RR=2.69, 95% CI 2.59–2.78). The association between CTS and the number of SA/DP days was smaller among older age groups. Sociodemographic factors were similarly associated with SA/DP among people with and without CTS. Conclusions: Numbers of SA/DP days were higher among people with CTS than their matched references in all age groups, particularly among individuals in their early work careers, highlighting public-health relevance of the findings.

scholarly journals Work ability score and future work ability as predictors of register-based disability pension and long-term sickness absence: A three-year follow-up study

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulla Kinnunen ◽  
Jouko Nätti
Keyword(s):  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Work Ability ◽  
Disability Pension ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Work Ability Index ◽  
Rate Ratios ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Work Ability Score

Aims: We investigated two single items of the Work Ability Index – work ability score, and future work ability – as predictors of register-based disability pension and long-term sickness absence over a three-year follow-up. Methods: Survey responses of 11,131 Finnish employees were linked to pension and long-term (more than 10 days) sickness absence register data by Statistics Finland. Work ability score was divided into poor (0–5), moderate (6–7) and good/excellent (8–10) and future work ability into poor (1–2) and good (3) work ability at baseline. Cox proportional hazard regressions were used in the analysis of disability pension, and a negative binomial model in the analysis of long-term sickness absence. The results were adjusted for several background, work- and health-related covariates. Results: Compared with those with good/excellent work ability scores, the hazard ratios of disability pension after adjusting for all covariates were 9.84 (95% CI 6.68–14.49) for poor and 2.25 (CI 95% 1.51–3.35) for moderate work ability score. For future work ability, the hazard ratio was 8.19 (95% CI 4.71–14.23) among those with poor future work ability. The incidence rate ratios of accumulated long-term sickness absence days were 3.08 (95% CI 2.19–4.32) and 1.59 (95% CI 1.32–1.92) for poor and moderate work ability scores, and 1.51 (95% CI 0.97–2.36) for poor future work ability. Conclusions: The single items of work ability score and future work ability predicted register-based disability pension equally well, but work ability score was a better predictor of register-based long-term sickness absence days than future work ability in a three-year follow-up. Both items seem to be of use especially when examining the risk of poor work ability for disability but also for long sick leave.

Changes in Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Subsequent Sickness Absence Due to Any Cause, Musculoskeletal, and Mental Causes

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 867-873 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ansku Holstila ◽  
Ossi Rahkonen ◽  
Eero Lahelma ◽  
Jouni Lahti
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Social Insurance ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Middle Aged

Background:The association between changes in physical activity and sickness absence is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the association between changes in leisure-time physical activity and long-term sickness absence due to any cause and musculoskeletal and mental causes.Methods:We measured physical activity at baseline in 2000–2002 (response rate 67%) and at follow-up in 2007 (response rate 83%) among middle-aged employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland. The survey data were linked to the Finnish Social Insurance Institute’s register data on sickness benefit periods > 9 days, including diagnoses (ICD-10; International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision) (mean follow-up 2.3 years). We used a negative binomial model to calculate rate ratios. The analyses included 4010 respondents (81% women).Results:Those who were persistently vigorously active and those whose physical activity level changed from low to moderate or vigorous, from moderate to vigorous, or from vigorous to moderate were at lower risk for sickness absence than were the persistently low-activity group. For sickness absence due to musculoskeletal causes, vigorous activity showed stronger associations, whereas mental causes showed no such associations.Conclusions:To reduce sickness absence due to both musculoskeletal and mental causes, middle-aged and aging employees should be encouraged to engage in physical activity.

scholarly journals Towards a Better Understanding of Sickness Absence in Adolescence: A Qualitative Study among Dutch Intermediate Vocational Education Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne T. M. Vanneste ◽  
Frans J. M. Feron ◽  
Marlieke A. W. van Mook ◽  
Angelique de Rijk
Keyword(s):  
Vocational Education ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Youth Health ◽  
Education Students ◽  
School Students ◽  
Conscious Decision ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Reporting Procedures

An adequate approach to sickness absence can reduce school dropout which is a major problem in Intermediate Vocational Education (IVE). This practice-based study explores the sickness absence reasons and factors influencing reporting the sickness, from a student’s perspective. Semistructured interviews were held until saturation. Data were collected and analysed by a multidisciplinary research team including youth health care physicians working with IVE students. The results show that, according to the students, reasons for sickness reporting were health-related or related to problems at home or in school. Students view their sickness absence as necessity, as asking for understanding, or as pardonable. Their views depended on (1) the perception of medical legitimacy, (2) feeling able to take their own responsibility, (3) feeling being taken seriously at school, and (4) the perception that the sickness reporting procedure at school is anonymous and easy. In conclusion, reporting sickness seems more a reaction to a necessity or opportunity than the result of a conscious decision-making process. Personalizing the sickness reporting procedures and demonstrating interest rather than control while discussing the sickness absence with the individual IVE student might very well affect their sickness absence levels.

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