abstract: 'Background There is wide evidence that women present longer duration of

  sickness absence (SA) than men. Musculoskeletal disorders are influenced

  by gender due to the sexual division of work.

  Methods 354 432 episodes of non-work-related SA due to musculoskeletal

  disorders, which were registered in Catalonia between 2005 and 2008,

  were selected. The outcome variable was the duration of SA. Frailty

  survival models, stratified by sex and adjusted for explanatory

  variables (age, employment status, case management, economic activity

  and repeated episode), were fitted to study the association between each

  variable and the duration of SA, obtaining HRs.

  Results Women presented longer SA episodes than men in all variable

  categories. A trend from shorter to longer duration of SA with

  increasing age was observed in men, whereas in women, it had a

  fluctuating pattern. Analysing most frequent diagnostic subgroups from

  the sample, only `non-specific lumbago'' and `sciatic lumbago'' showed

  these age patterns. Frailty survival models applied to these 2 subgroups

  confirmed the described age patterns in SA duration.

  Conclusions Women have longer non-work-related SA due to musculoskeletal

  disorders than men. However, while men have longer absences as their age

  increases, in women some older groups have shorter absences than younger

  ones. These findings could be explained by gender differences in the

  interaction between paid work and family demands. Our results highlight

  the need for continued research on SA from a gender perspective, in

  order to improve management of SA in terms of clinical practice and

  public policies.'
affiliation: 'Arcas, MM (Corresponding Author), Univ Pompeu Fabra, Hosp del Mar, Agencia
  Salut Publ Barcelona, Prevent Med \& Publ Hlth,Educ Unit, Passeig Maritim 25-29,
  Barcelona 08003, Catalonia, Spain.

  Arcas, M. Marta, Univ Pompeu Fabra, Hosp del Mar, Agencia Salut Publ Barcelona,
  Dept Prevent Med \& Publ Hlth,Educ Unit, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

  Delclos, George L.; Tora-Rocamora, Isabel; Martinez, Jose Miguel; Benavides, Fernando
  G., Univ Pompeu Fabra, Ctr Res Occupat Hlth, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

  Delclos, George L.; Tora-Rocamora, Isabel; Martinez, Jose Miguel; Benavides, Fernando
  G., CIBERESP, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

  Delclos, George L., Univ Texas Sch Publ Hlth, Houston, TX USA.

  Delclos, George L.; Tora-Rocamora, Isabel; Martinez, Jose Miguel; Benavides, Fernando
  G., Hosp del Mar Med Res Inst IMIM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.'
author: Arcas, M. Marta and Delclos, George L. and Tora-Rocamora, Isabel and Martinez,
  Jose Miguel and Benavides, Fernando G.
author-email: arcasferre@gmail.com
author_list:
- family: Arcas
  given: M. Marta
- family: Delclos
  given: George L.
- family: Tora-Rocamora
  given: Isabel
- family: Martinez
  given: Jose Miguel
- family: Benavides
  given: Fernando G.
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1136/jech-2014-204331
eissn: 1470-2738
files: []
issn: 0143-005X
journal: JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
keywords-plus: HEALTH; RETURN; LEAVE; COHORT; INEQUALITIES; SEX
language: English
month: NOV
number: '11'
number-of-cited-references: '37'
orcid-numbers: Martínez, José Miguel/0000-0002-9633-1204
pages: 1065-1073
papis_id: 20457c9e07944c2cafd84fcf643dab2a
ref: Arcas2016genderdifferences
researcherid-numbers: Martínez, José Miguel/AAU-3228-2021
times-cited: '9'
title: Gender differences in the duration of non-work-related sickness absence episodes
  due to musculoskeletal disorders
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000386516300003
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '9'
volume: '70'
web-of-science-categories: Public, Environmental \& Occupational Health
year: '2016'