OBJECTIVE: To analyze time trends of sick leave rates among state civil servants in the State Secretariats of Health and of Administration in Santa Catarina, Brazil from 1995 to 2005. METHOD: This is an ecological study with secondary data. Rates of sick leave were calculated according to State Secretariat (Health and Administration), gender, and pathological groups. Prais-Winsten procedure was utilized to analyze trends. RESULTS: 40,370 absences were analyzed. The trend of sick leave rates was decreasing for both State Secretariats (Health and Administration), when considering both genders. Among women in the State Secretariat of Administration, the trend was that of stability. The rates were more elevated in the State Secretariat of Health. The average number of days of sick leave increased during the period analyzed. According to the pathological groups (ICD 10), the greatest rates were the chapters V, XIII, XXI, XIX, and IX. CONCLUSIONS: The decreasing trend in sick leave rates and the respective increase in the average days of sick leave taken reflect changes in the morbidity profile of state civil servants, with the predomination of mental disorders and osteo-muscular system diseases, which demand greater recovery time before returning to work. This study suggests greater investigation of the factors associated to the illness process underlying civil servants' health care policies.
Public Sector; Occupational Health; Workers; Health Profile; Absenteeism; Sick Leave
