The prevalence of sick leave: reasons and associated predictors – a survey among employed pregnant women

Conclusions The prevalence of sick leave was 56% in the first 32 weeks of gestation and more than one in four women reported long-term sick leave. The majority of reasons for sick leave were pregnancy-related and low back pain was the most frequently given reason. Sick leave among pregnant women is a frequently discussed issue in the Scandinavian countries. Two out of three pregnant women spent an average of 47-73 days on sick leave during their pregnancies [1–4] and the number has increased over recent decades [7–9]. This leads to a significant socio-economic burden as more than 80% of the Danish women form part of the workforce [10]. Hence, it is in the public interest to reduce pregnancy-related sick leave [2,9]. The question is whether sick leave is preventable or can at least be reduced during pregnancy.
Source: Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare - Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: research