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Review
. 2019 Dec;10(4):393-399.
doi: 10.1016/j.shaw.2019.08.004. Epub 2019 Aug 31.

Multimorbidity and Its Impact on Workers: A Review of Longitudinal Studies

Giorgione G Cabral  1 , Ana C Dantas de Souza  2 , Isabelle R Barbosa  3 , Javier Jerez-Roig  4 , Dyego L B Souza  2   4
Affiliations
Review

Multimorbidity and Its Impact on Workers: A Review of Longitudinal Studies

Giorgione G Cabral et al. Saf Health Work. 2019 Dec.

Abstract

Objective: This study investigates the impact of multimorbidity on work through a literature review of longitudinal studies.

Methods: A systematic review was carried out in the databases Lilacs, SciELO, PAHO, PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane. There were no restrictions regarding the year of publication or language to maximize the identification of relevant literature. The quality of studies was assessed by the protocol STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE).

Results: An initial database search identified 7522 registries, and at the end of the analysis, 7 manuscripts were included in the review. Several studies have demonstrated direct and indirect impacts of multimorbidity on the health of workers. For this, the number of missed days due to health-related issues was evaluated, as well as the reduction in work productivity of the unhealthy worker, vulnerability of the worker with multimorbidity regarding higher indices of dismissal and recruitment difficulties, and incidence of early retirement and/or receipt of benefits due to disabilities.

Conclusions: Multimorbidity has a negative impact on work, with damages to quality of life and work productivity, worsening the absenteeism/presenteeism indices, enhancing the chances of temporary or permanent leaves, and lowering employability and admission of individuals with multimorbidity.

Keywords: Morbidity; Multimorbidity; Review; Work; Workers.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart for study selection in the review. PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Natal, 2018. (Adapted from PRISMA).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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