Introduction:

Absenteeism is a currently major problem. The sick leaves due to common illness continue to grow and exceeded 4.5 million in 2016, causing important labor and economic damages.

Objective:

Injuries or Illness work-related absenteeism in patient escort workers of an Acute Hospital in order to identify factors related with this absenteeism.

Material and methods:

Descriptive study. Along 2015 work absenteeism was registered in 177 patient escort workers from an Acute Hospital. The following variables were analyzed: number of temporary work disability and periods, sex, age, BMI, marital status, number of children, exercise, type of contract, work shift, pathologies, workload, adaptation of the workplace due to the pathologies suffered, date of Temporary Disability and total days of absenteeism. For univariate statistical analysis a chi-square (χ2) was applied in proportions and t-Student in continuous variables. Subsequently, a multivariate model was constructed (Logistic Regression) whose dependent variable was absenteeism.

Results:

The total days of leave were 4,425 days, which means a loss of 33,187,5 hours of work. The general rate of absenteeism per 100 hours worked was 11,4 hours lost and the general absenteeism rate was 25 days lost for each worker. 44,6% of the total workers took a medical leave during the year of study. The variables related in the univariate study were sex, having children or not, musculoskeletal or other pathology, post adjustment and overweight. In the multivariate model the significant variables were musculoskeletal pathology with an OR of 1,955 (0,982-3,89) and being obese OR of 3,433 (1,372 - 8,590).

Discussion:

Musculoskeletal pathology and obesity variables are the best predictors of work absenteeism in our sample. Better data could be obtained in work absenteeism if the Institution improves the job management taking into account the magnitude of musculoskeletal pathology and the health promotion programs on obesity were carried out.