TY - JOUR

T1 - Sickness absence in student nursing assistants following a preventive intervention programme

AU - Svensson, A L

AU - Marott, J L

AU - Suadicani, P

AU - Mortensen, O S

AU - Ebbehøj, N E

PY - 2011/1/1

Y1 - 2011/1/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: We have previously shown that a multidimensional programme combining physical training, patient transfer techniques and stress management significantly reduced sickness absence rates in student nurse assistants (NAs) after 14 months of follow-up. At follow-up, the control group had reduced SF-36 scores for general health perception [general health (GH)], psychological well-being [mental health (MH)] and energy/fatigue [vitality (VT)] compared with the intervention group, which remained at the baseline level for all three measures.AIMS: To ascertain whether this effect remained after a further 36 months of follow-up and to analyse the association of GH, MH and VT scores with sickness absence.METHODS: This was a cluster randomized prospective study. The original study involved assessment at baseline and follow-up at 14 months (the duration of the student NA course). Of 568 subjects from the original intervention study, 306 (54%) completed a postal questionnaire at 36 months.RESULTS: Sickness absence increased in both groups between the first and second follow-up. At the second follow-up, the intervention group had a mean of 18 days of sickness absence compared with 25 in the control group but this was not significant. GH at 14 months follow-up was found to predict sickness absence levels after 3 years. MH and VT scores showed an inverse association with sickness absence but the results were not significant.CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the initial intervention did not have a sustained effect on sickness absence 36 months after initial follow-up of the study group.

AB - BACKGROUND: We have previously shown that a multidimensional programme combining physical training, patient transfer techniques and stress management significantly reduced sickness absence rates in student nurse assistants (NAs) after 14 months of follow-up. At follow-up, the control group had reduced SF-36 scores for general health perception [general health (GH)], psychological well-being [mental health (MH)] and energy/fatigue [vitality (VT)] compared with the intervention group, which remained at the baseline level for all three measures.AIMS: To ascertain whether this effect remained after a further 36 months of follow-up and to analyse the association of GH, MH and VT scores with sickness absence.METHODS: This was a cluster randomized prospective study. The original study involved assessment at baseline and follow-up at 14 months (the duration of the student NA course). Of 568 subjects from the original intervention study, 306 (54%) completed a postal questionnaire at 36 months.RESULTS: Sickness absence increased in both groups between the first and second follow-up. At the second follow-up, the intervention group had a mean of 18 days of sickness absence compared with 25 in the control group but this was not significant. GH at 14 months follow-up was found to predict sickness absence levels after 3 years. MH and VT scores showed an inverse association with sickness absence but the results were not significant.CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the initial intervention did not have a sustained effect on sickness absence 36 months after initial follow-up of the study group.

U2 - 10.1093/occmed/kqq142

DO - 10.1093/occmed/kqq142

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 20841317

VL - 61

SP - 57

EP - 61

JO - Occupational Medicine

JF - Occupational Medicine

SN - 0962-7480

IS - 1

ER -