# Absences due to illness and health problems of the teachers of municipal public schools in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil

## TL;DR

This study examines the main health issues causing teacher absences in public schools in Rio Branco, Brazil, from 2014 to 2017.

## Contribution

The study identifies the most prevalent health problems leading to teacher absenteeism in a specific Brazilian city.

## Key findings

- Diseases of the musculoskeletal system had the highest prevalence at 7.83%.
- Mental and behavioral disorders accounted for 7.45% of absences.
- The average sickness absence duration was 24.07 days.

## Abstract

Absenteeism is defined as the absence of workers from their workplace,
resulting from a complex phenomenon.

To analyze the profile of absence due to illness and health problems of the
permanent teachers of early childhood education (day care and preschool) and
elementary school (years 1-5) in the city of Rio Branco - Acre, Brazil, from
2014 to 2017.

An observational, analytical, individual, cross-sectional, retrospective
cohort study with data from 1,584 teachers from 100 municipal public schools
in Rio Branco. The period prevalence was calculated by chapters of the
International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, and by specific
reasons for absence for those chapters with higher proportions.
Additionally, the absenteeism-illness frequency index and mean sickness
absence duration were calculated.

The chapters of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision,
with the highest prevalence of absences were Chapter XIII (diseases of the
musculoskeletal system and connective tissue) with 7.83%, Chapter V (mental
and behavioral disorders) with 7.45%, and Chapter X (diseases of the
respiratory system) with 6.12%. The absenteeism-illness frequency index was
0.72, and the mean sickness absence duration was 24.07 days.

The present study showed that diseases of the musculoskeletal system and
connective tissue, mental and behavioral disorders, and diseases of the
respiratory system are the main problems that lead the permanent teachers of
municipal public schools in Rio Branco to be absent from the classroom.