Unhealthy lifestyle and sleep problems as risk factors for increased direct employers’ cost of short-term sickness absence

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Unhealthy lifestyle (eg, smoking) as well as sleep problems are associated with increased risk of sickness absence, but the financial impact of these associations beyond risk ratios is not well known. We aimed to estimate the additive contribution of lifestyle and sleep problems (risk factors) to direct costs of short-term (7 servings/week for women and >14 servings/week for men); physically inactive [<14 metabolic equivalents (MET) hours/week]; having low fruit and vegetable consumption (<1 times/day); or suffering from frequent insomnia symptoms. Sickness absence, salary, and time of employment were followed through the employer’s register between 2002–2016. Individual salary data were used to calculate the direct costs of short-term sickness absence. Data were analyzed using a two-part model. RESULTS: Direct costs of short-term sickness absences were on average €9057 (standard deviation €11 858) per employee over the follow-up. Those with ≥3 risk factors had €3266 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) €2114–4417] higher direct costs for the employer over the follow-up compared to those without any risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Unhealthy lifestyle and sleep problems may increase the costs of short-term sickness absence to the employer by 10–30%. Consequently, programs addressing lifestyle and sleep may yield to significant savings.

Keywords

• insomnia symptom
• unhealthy lifestyle
• sleep ­duration
• employer cost
• risk factor
• vegetable
• sick leave
• smoking
• sleep
• alcohol
• sickness absence
• physical activity
• cost
• lifestyle
• sickness absence
• sleep problem
• helsinki health study
• short-term sickness absence
• fruit