Appointments at the workers' health care service and disease: absenteism in a university hospital

Abstract

This is a descriptive study carried out in the University Hospital of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), with the objective of characterizing disease-absenteeism among workers of this hospital during 1999, through a survey of leaves of absence given by doctors, registered in the data base of the Workers Health Care service (SAST) - Health Campus/UFMG. The disease-absenteeism rate found will serve as a parameter for latter studies. The most frequent group for the leaves of absence are women, as much in the demand for the SAST, as well as in the leaves of absence. The most frequent causes for leaves of absence, both for women and men, were the diseases of the respiratory system, of the osteomuscular system and of conjunctive tissue, having variations with other cases of men and women. The comparison of the time of the year with the leave of absence showed that the leaves of absence follow the teaching term (semester), increasing at the beginning of the term and reducing near the end of the term.