Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 12, Issue 1, 2010, Pages 43-52

Health and Sickness Absence in Denmark: A Study of Elderly-Care Immigrant Workers (Article) (Open Access)

Carneiro I.G. , Ortega A. , Borg V. , Høgh A.
  • a National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
  • b National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
  • c National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
  • d National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate patterns of sickness absence in light of health status among immigrants. Cross-sectional data from 2005 was used and the study population consisted of 3,121 healthcare assistants and healthcare helpers working in the elderly-care sector in Denmark. A multinomial logistic regression was employed to investigate the relationship between health indicator, sickness absence and being an immigrant. Our findings show that, on one hand, immigrants have worse health status, but on the other, they have significantly lower sickness absence than their Danish counterparts, even after factors such as age and gender are controlled for. The results show that the relationship between being an immigrant and sickness absence differs according to health status. Our findings are in line with Steer and Rhode's theoretical framework, according to which attendance to work is a function of ability and motivation to be at work.

Author Keywords

Health immigrants Elderly-care Sickness absence

Index Keywords

Denmark male Emigrants and Immigrants human Sick Leave health status female Humans questionnaire cross-sectional study Article Cross-Sectional Studies middle aged Questionnaires adult migration medical leave
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77649237359&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-008-9206-7&partnerID=40&md5=40ce7f098caa19969caf3554f0a7153b
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-008-9206-7
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 10
Original Language: English