Abstract:

Introduction: Hypertension is one disease that has the highest prevalence worldwide. Low Socioeconomic status is considered a non-modifiable risk factor for the disease. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of sickness absenteeism among hypertensives and find the association between the Standard of living and sickness absenteeism among hypertensive patients in South Chennai. Methods: This Cross-sectional study included 354 hypertensive patients selected from NCD registers of six PHCs in Chengalpattu district during the period September 2023 to March 2024 through telephonic interview. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used to retrieve necessary information. Sickness absenteeism was assessed by the Bradford factor. A score of more than 50 represented the presence of sickness absenteeism. The strength of the association between SLI and Sickness absenteeism was estimated by multivariate logistic regression analysis (P <0.05 was considered significant) using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21. Results: The prevalence of sickness absenteeism was found to be 44%. Factors such as cooking using charcoal [AOR - 6.219 (2.964 – 13.047)], not having electricity facility [AOR – 0.032 (0.005 – 0.203)], living in kutcha house [AOR – 5.469 (2.849 – 10.498)] and not possessing a bank or post office account [AOR – 3.681 (2.119 – 6.395)] were found to be significantly associated with sickness absenteeism. Conclusion: The association between the standard of living and sickness absenteeism was evident in hypertensives. Improving the standard of living in hypertensive populations will not only enhance well-being but also reduce absenteeism from work, increasing workplace productivity.

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