Use of benefits during pregnancy: a cohort study in four organisations in Spain

Objectives To analyse the use of either sick leave (SL) benefit and/or pregnancy-related occupational risk (POR) benefit by workers taking work absence during pregnancy.Methods Retrospective cohorts of working women from the beginning to the end of pregnancy in three public hospitals and one pharmac...

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Main Authors: Consol Serra, Fernando G Benavides, Xavier Duran, Pilar Peña, Martina Lupia, Rosa Serrano, Joan Inglés, Júlia Pratdesava, Pere Plana
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-04-01
Series:BMJ Public Health
Online Access:https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/3/1/e001730.full
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author Consol Serra
Fernando G Benavides
Xavier Duran
Pilar Peña
Martina Lupia
Rosa Serrano
Joan Inglés
Júlia Pratdesava
Pere Plana
author_facet Consol Serra
Fernando G Benavides
Xavier Duran
Pilar Peña
Martina Lupia
Rosa Serrano
Joan Inglés
Júlia Pratdesava
Pere Plana
author_sort Consol Serra
collection DOAJ
description Objectives To analyse the use of either sick leave (SL) benefit and/or pregnancy-related occupational risk (POR) benefit by workers taking work absence during pregnancy.Methods Retrospective cohorts of working women from the beginning to the end of pregnancy in three public hospitals and one pharmaceutical company, between 2015 and 2019. We measured the frequency and duration of absences, by age and occupational variables, and cumulative absence days, classifying work status as at work, on SL and on POR absence. Differences between groups for each variable were analysed through the Kruskal-Wallis rank test followed by Dunn’s Pairwise Comparisons. Sequence analysis was used to identify pregnancy trajectories.Results Among 1116 pregnant workers, absence days due to SL ranged from 9.9% to 28.6% of total possible working days, from 9.2% to 38.4% due to POR, while only 3.9% did not take any absence. Nurse aides and nurses used benefits most often and for the longest duration with respect to other occupational categories (p value<0.001). Age had no statistically significant difference (p value=0.245). Three pregnancy trajectories were identified, characterised by mostly active work, active work combined with POR and active work with SL, with differences by workplace, occupation and work area (p value<0.001). The total time in days during which pregnant women were actively working ranged between 56% and 64% depending on the organisation.Conclusions This study in four organisations shows a very similar pattern regarding total time absent from work during pregnancy. Women were actively working for two-thirds of their pregnancy. Of the remaining time, while in two organisations, absences were mainly due to SL, in other two were due to POR. Organisational variations in the management of pregnant women could be an explanation. We need further investigation on this topic.
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spelling doaj-art-8f14deff864b49e1989b1ef8f869c8692025-08-20T03:28:58ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Public Health2753-42942025-04-013110.1136/bmjph-2024-001730Use of benefits during pregnancy: a cohort study in four organisations in SpainConsol Serra0Fernando G Benavides1Xavier Duran2Pilar Peña3Martina Lupia4Rosa Serrano5Joan Inglés6Júlia Pratdesava7Pere Plana8CiSAL-Centre for Research in Occupational Health, MELIS Department, Universitat Pompeu Fabra / Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, SpainCiSAL-Centre for Research in Occupational Health, MELIS Department, Universitat Pompeu Fabra / Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, SpainAMIB-Consulting service on methodology for biomedical research (AMIB), Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, SpainOccupational Health Service, Consorcio Corporacion Sanitaria Parc Tauli, Sabadell, SpainCiSAL-Centre for Research in Occupational Health, MELIS Department, Universitat Pompeu Fabra / Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, SpainOccupational Health Service, Consorcio Corporacion Sanitaria Parc Tauli, Sabadell, SpainOccupational Health Service, Hospital Universitari San Joan de Reus, Reus, SpainOccupational Medicine Service, B.Braun, Rubí, SpainOccupational Medicine Service, B.Braun, Rubí, SpainObjectives To analyse the use of either sick leave (SL) benefit and/or pregnancy-related occupational risk (POR) benefit by workers taking work absence during pregnancy.Methods Retrospective cohorts of working women from the beginning to the end of pregnancy in three public hospitals and one pharmaceutical company, between 2015 and 2019. We measured the frequency and duration of absences, by age and occupational variables, and cumulative absence days, classifying work status as at work, on SL and on POR absence. Differences between groups for each variable were analysed through the Kruskal-Wallis rank test followed by Dunn’s Pairwise Comparisons. Sequence analysis was used to identify pregnancy trajectories.Results Among 1116 pregnant workers, absence days due to SL ranged from 9.9% to 28.6% of total possible working days, from 9.2% to 38.4% due to POR, while only 3.9% did not take any absence. Nurse aides and nurses used benefits most often and for the longest duration with respect to other occupational categories (p value<0.001). Age had no statistically significant difference (p value=0.245). Three pregnancy trajectories were identified, characterised by mostly active work, active work combined with POR and active work with SL, with differences by workplace, occupation and work area (p value<0.001). The total time in days during which pregnant women were actively working ranged between 56% and 64% depending on the organisation.Conclusions This study in four organisations shows a very similar pattern regarding total time absent from work during pregnancy. Women were actively working for two-thirds of their pregnancy. Of the remaining time, while in two organisations, absences were mainly due to SL, in other two were due to POR. Organisational variations in the management of pregnant women could be an explanation. We need further investigation on this topic.https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/3/1/e001730.full
spellingShingle Consol Serra
Fernando G Benavides
Xavier Duran
Pilar Peña
Martina Lupia
Rosa Serrano
Joan Inglés
Júlia Pratdesava
Pere Plana
Use of benefits during pregnancy: a cohort study in four organisations in Spain
BMJ Public Health
title Use of benefits during pregnancy: a cohort study in four organisations in Spain
title_full Use of benefits during pregnancy: a cohort study in four organisations in Spain
title_fullStr Use of benefits during pregnancy: a cohort study in four organisations in Spain
title_full_unstemmed Use of benefits during pregnancy: a cohort study in four organisations in Spain
title_short Use of benefits during pregnancy: a cohort study in four organisations in Spain
title_sort use of benefits during pregnancy a cohort study in four organisations in spain
url https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/3/1/e001730.full
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