Gender composition in occupations and branches and medically certified sick leave: a prospective population study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether gender-segregated occupations and branches are associated with future medically certified sick leave for women and men. METHODS: All gainfully employed residents in Sweden in December 31st 2014 aged 16–69 years (n = 4 473 964) were identified in national registers. Subjects working in segregated (61–90%) and extremely segregated (> 90%) occupations and branches were evaluated v/s subjects in gender-integrated occupations and branches (40–60%). Combinations of segregation by occupation and branch were also investigated. Two-year prospective medically certified sick leaves (> 14 days) were evaluated using logistic regression with odds ratios recalculated to relative risks (RR), adjusted for work, demographic and health related factors. RESULTS: The sick leave risk was higher for those working in extremely female-dominated occupations (women RR 1.06 and men RR 1.13), and in extremely female-dominated branches (women RR 1.09 and men RR 1.12), and for men in extremely male-dominated branches (RR 1.04). The sick leave risk was also higher for both women and men in female-dominated occupations regardless of the gender segregation in the branch they were working in. However, the differences in sick leave risks associated with gender segregation were considerably smaller than the differences between occupations and branches in general. CONCLUSIONS: Gender segregation in occupations and branches play a role for sick leave among women and men, especially within extremely female-dominated occupations and branches. However, gender segregation appears to be subordinate to particular occupational hazards faced in diverse occupations and branches.