A study published in Vaccine examined the effect of having paid sick leave benefits and use of sick days on influenza vaccination status.
Researchers analyzed the public-use dataset from the 2009 National H1N1 Flu Survey. They used Wald chi-square tests and t-tests to assess:
• The associations between having paid sick leave benefits, sociodemographic characteristics and industry and occupation groups.
• The associations between having paid sick leave benefits, seeking treatment when sick with a flu-like illness and taking days off work when sick.
The study shows 61 percent of employed adults reported paid sick leave benefits during the 2009-10 influenza season. Not having paid sick leave benefits was associated with a lower likelihood of receiving an influenza vaccination and visiting a health professional when sick with a flu-like illness.
The study also shows being younger, female, Hispanic, less educated or a farm/blue collar worker were associated with reduced likelihood of having paid sick leave benefits.
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