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Background Studies on sociodemographic differences in sick leave after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are limited and research on COVID-19 long-term health consequences has mainly addressed hospitalized individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate the social patterning of sick leave and determinants of longer sick leave after COVID-19 among mild and severe cases. Methods The study population, from the Swedish multi-register observational study SCIFI-PEARL, included individuals aged 18–64 years in the Swedish population, gainfully employed, with a first positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from 1 January 2020 until 31 August 2021 (n  = 661 780). Using logistic regression models, analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic factors, vaccination, prior sick leave, comorbidities and stratified by hospitalization. Results In total, 37 420 (5.7%) individuals were on sick leave due to COVID-19 in connection with their first positive COVID-19 test. Individuals on sick leave were more often women, older, had lower income and/or were born outside Sweden. These differences were similar across COVID-19 pandemic phases. The highest proportion of sick leave was seen in the oldest age group (10.3%) with an odds ratio of 4.32 (95% confidence interval 4.18–4.47) compared with the youngest individuals. Among individuals hospitalized due to COVID-19, the sociodemographic pattern was less pronounced, and in some models, even reversed. The intersectional analysis revealed considerable variability in sick leave between sociodemographic groups (range: 1.5–17.0%). Conclusion In the entire Swedish population of gainfully employed individuals, our findings demonstrated evident sociodemographic differences in sick leave due to COVID-19. In the hospitalized group, the social patterning was different and less pronounced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Many studies report that foreign-born healthcare workers (HCWs) in high-income countries have an elevated risk of COVID-19. However, research has not yet specifically evaluated the distribution of COVID-19 among foreign-born workers in different healthcare work groups. We examined the risk of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization among foreign-born HCWs in different occupational roles in Sweden. Methods We linked occupational data (2019) of 783 950 employed foreign-born workers (20–65 years) to COVID-19 data registered between 1 January 2020 and 30 September 2021. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization in eight healthcare occupational groups vs. non-HCWs and assessed whether region of birth modified the association between healthcare occupations and COVID-19. Results All HCWs had a higher risk of COVID-19 outcomes than non-HCWs, but the risk differed by occupational role. Hospital-based assistant nurses had the highest risk (infection: HR 1.78; 95% CI 1.72–1.85; hospitalization: HR 1.79; 95% CI 1.52–2.11); allied HCWs had the lowest risk (infection: HR 1.22; 95% CI 1.10–1.35; hospitalization: HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.59–1.63). The relative hazard of the outcomes varied across foreign-born workers from different regions. For example, the relative risk of COVID-19 infection associated with being a physician compared to a non-HCW was 31% higher for African-born than European-born workers. Conclusions The risk of COVID-19 among foreign-born HCWs differed by occupational role and immigrant background. Public health efforts that target occupational exposures as well as incorporate culturally responsive measures may help reduce COVID-19 risk among foreign-born HCWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been proposed that lack of social support in a work place characterized by high levels of stress, may increase the likelihood of future cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to analyze the prospective impact of social support at work in combination with self-reported work stress on incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke in a cohort of 4707 women (mean age: 54.2 years) and 3063 men (mean age: 55.5 years) in Maim6, Sweden. The results are based on selfreports of work-related stress and social support collected at baseline examinations between the years 1992 and 1996. Work-stress was operationalized according to the Karasek job strain model. Data on incidence of MI and stroke were obtained from national and regional registers. At the end of follow-up, December 3 I, 2001, 38 women had experienced an MI and 53 had had a stroke. Corresponding figures for men were 114 Mls and 81 strokes. The first finding was that social support at work was an independent predictor of an MI and stroke among women. The second finding was that there was no evidence to support the iso-strain model. The third finding was that low levels of social support at work together with a passive work situation indicated an increased risk of a future cardiovascular outcome (MI or stroke) during follow-up in the female group. In men, no association was found between any psychosocial work conditions and incidence of MI or stroke during the same follow-up period. Keywords: Myocardial infarction; Stroke; Social support at work: Job strain; Psychological demands; Decision latitude; Sweden

This longitudinal study investigates the impact of social participation, trust and the combinations of social participation and trust on the incidence of first time acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the population of Scania, southern Sweden. It is based on the cross-sectional 2000 public-health survey in Scania with a 59% participation rate and 13,604 participants, and prospective morbidity/mortality data collected for three years (January 2000-December 2002). The study cohort was followed prospectively to examine first ever AMI. Hazard rate ratios (HRR) for first time AMI in the social participation, trust and social participation/trust combinations were calculated in a Cox regression model with adjustments for age, sex, education, economic stress, daily smoking, leisure time physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and self-reported health. The prevalence of low social participation was 32.8% among men and 31.5% among women. The prevalence of low trust was 40.0% among men and 44.2% among women. The three-year first time AMI rate was significantly higher among people with higher age, low education, daily smoking, poor self-reported health (among men), low social participation, and the combinations of low social participation/high trust and low social participation/low trust. The results show that low social participation but not trust was significantly associated with first time AMI after adjustment for age and sex. The positive association between low social participation and myocardial infarction remained significant after further adjustments for education, economic stress, daily smoking, physical activity and BMI, and became not significant only after additional adjustment for self-reported health, HRR 1.3 (0.9-2.0). High trust in combination with low social participation as well as low social capital (low trust/low social participation) were significantly associated with AMI, but after multiple adjustments only the low social participation/high trust category remained significant, HRR 1.6 (1.0-2.6). Keywords: Acute myocardial infarction; Social capital; Social participation; Trust; Miniaturisation of community; Morbidity; Mortality; Sweden

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.08.037 Byline: Maria Rosvall, Per-Olof Astergren, Bo Hedblad, Sven-Olof Isacsson, Lars Janzon, Goran Berglund Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Carotid arteries; Sex factors; Socioeconomic factors; Sweden Abstract: While the persistence of socioeconomic differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been recognized for many years, less is known about whether socioeconomic factors are of importance to CVD before symptoms of the disease appear. In this study the associations among educational level, occupational status and progression of atherosclerosis were investigated in 1016 Swedish middle-aged men and women with signs of subclinical atherosclerosis, i.e., carotid plaque (defined as focal intima-media thickness (IMT) >1.2mm). IMT in the common carotid artery (CCA) and in the carotid bifurcation area, as well as carotid plaque score, was determined by B-mode ultrasound. Results showed only weak associations between educational level, occupational status and age-, sex- and baseline IMT-adjusted progression of IMT in the CCA. However, in the age, sex- and baseline IMT-adjusted analyses, those in unskilled manual occupations showed a significantly higher yearly progression of carotid IMT in the bifurcation area compared to those in high- or medium-level non-manual occupations. Those with primary education tended to show a higher yearly progression of carotid IMT in the bifurcation area compared to those with completed secondary education. After adjustment for risk factors, the magnitude of these associations were somewhat attenuated. Similar patterns of associations were seen for the change of carotid plaque score. We conclude that low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with progression of atherosclerosis in a middle-aged population with signs of subclinical atherosclerosis. Even though socioeconomic differences in cardiovascular risk factor levels could explain part of the found differences in progression rate in women, the mechanisms involved remain to be further established. Author Affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, University Hospital Malmo, SE-20502 Malmo, Sweden