Did the COVID-19 pandemic mask an increase in musculoskeletal disorder–related sickness absence : a national ecological surveillance study of the Slovenian workforce and healthcare sector, 2015–2024

Zerbo Šporin, Dorjana; Šporin, Martin; Kozinc, Žiga

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Title:	Did the COVID-19 pandemic mask an increase in musculoskeletal disorder–related sickness absence : a national ecological surveillance study of the Slovenian workforce and healthcare sector, 2015–2024
Authors:	ID Zerbo Šporin, Dorjana (Author) ID Šporin, Martin (Author) ID Kozinc, Žiga (Author)
Files:	https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10389-026-02867-0 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-026-02867-0 RAZ_Zerbo_Sporin_Dorjana_2026.pdf (658,59 KB) MD5: 3498030008D07E98000DDE9B1E9DE0AF This document has even more files. Complete list of files is available below.
Language:	English
Work type:	Article
Typology:	1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization:	FVZ - Faculty of Health Sciences
Abstract:	Aim To examine trends in musculoskeletal disorder (MSD)–related sickness absence in Slovenia from 2015 to 2024 among healthcare workers (HCWs) and compare patterns with the general workforce (GWs), with particular attention to prepandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic trajectories and sex-related differences. Subject and methods This population-level ecological surveillance study used aggregated national administrative data from the National Institute of Public Health of Slovenia. Annual sickness absence incidence rates (cases per 100 employees) were calculated for HCWs (NACE Rev. 2, Division 86) and GWs aged 20–65 years. Data were stratified by sex and calendar year. Sex differences were quantified using incidence rate ratios (IRRs). Results MSD-related sickness absence incidence was consistently higher among HCWs than GWs throughout the observation period, with crude HCWs-versus-GWs IRRs ranging from 1.16 to 1.28. Incidence increased from 7.41 to 9.86 cases per 100 employees in GWs and from 8.90 to 11.43 cases per 100 employees in HCWs between 2015 and 2024. In both sectors, incidence declined during 2020–2021 but subsequently increased, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 2024. Women had higher incidence than men in both workforce groups, with IRRs calculated from incidence rates averaged across the full observation period of 1.41 (95% CI=1.40–1.41) in GWs and 1.67 (95% CI=1.62–1.71) in HCWs. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily masked a continuing upward trend in MSD-related sickness absence in Slovenia. The burden remains disproportionately high among HCWs and women. These findings support the need for sectorspecific and sex-sensitive prevention strategies and continued national surveillance
Keywords:	pandemic, covid19, coronavirus, sick leave
Publication status:	In print
Publication version:	Version of Record
Publication date:	25.07.2026
Year of publishing:	2026
Number of pages:	str. 1-9
PID:	20.500.12556/RUP-23368
UDC:	616.72/.75(497.4)
ISSN on article:	1613-2238
DOI:	10.1007/s10389-026-02867-0
COBISS.SI-ID:	286271747
Publication date in RUP:	28.07.2026
Views:	17
Downloads:	1
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Record is a part of a journal

Title:	Journal of public health
Publisher:	Springer
ISSN:	1613-2238
COBISS.SI-ID:	3045396

Document is financed by a project

Funder:	ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
Project number:	P5-0443
Name:	Kineziologija za učinkovitost in preventivo mišično-skeletnih poškodb v športu

Licences

License:	CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Link:	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Description:	This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

Language:	Slovenian
Keywords:	pandemija, covid19, koronavirus, bolniška odsotnost

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