Access to health programs at the workplace and the reduction of work presenteeism: A population-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: To examine access to health programs at workplace as a determinant of presenteeism among adults. Methods: Data source was a subsample of the 2009–2010 Canadian Community Health Survey. The outcome was self-reported reduced activities at work (presenteeism). The explanatory variable was self-reported access to a health program at workplace. Logistic regression was used to measure the association between outcome and explanatory variables adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Adjusting for sex, age, education, income, work stress, and chronic conditions, presenteeism was not associated with having access to a health program at workplace (adjusted odds ratio, 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.91 to 1.65). The odds of presenteeism were higher in workers who reported high work stress and those with chronic medical conditions. Conclusions: This study found that access to health programs at workplace is not significantly associated with a decline in presenteeism.