Name
#35 Physical Symptom Severity and the Co-occurrence of Presenteeism and Absenteeism Among Active-duty Service Members
Speakers
Content Presented On Behalf Of:
Air Force
Session Type
Poster
Date
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Start Time
5:00 PM
End Time
7:00 PM
Location
Prince Georges Expo Hall E
Focus Areas/Topics
Policy/Management/Administrative
Learning Outcomes
Following this presentation, participants will be able to:
1. Describe the prevalence of reported presenteeism, absenteeism, and the severity of common symptoms experienced by U.S. active-duty service members based on demographic status and service branch.
2. Understand the link between symptom severity, unmet health needs, and presenteeism, absenteeism, and their co-occurrence.
3. Recognize the relationship between health-seeking behaviors, access to care, and readiness.
1. Describe the prevalence of reported presenteeism, absenteeism, and the severity of common symptoms experienced by U.S. active-duty service members based on demographic status and service branch.
2. Understand the link between symptom severity, unmet health needs, and presenteeism, absenteeism, and their co-occurrence.
3. Recognize the relationship between health-seeking behaviors, access to care, and readiness.
Session Currently Live
Description
Military service involves unique elements, including physically demanding work and the potential for symptoms resulting from chronic exertion or injury. These symptoms can lead to presenteeism and absenteeism, affecting well-being and productivity. Using data from the 2018 Department of Defense Health-Related Behaviors Survey (HRBS), this study aimed to examine the relationships between physical symptoms and the co-occurrence of presenteeism and absenteeism. The 2018 HRBS included responses from 17,166 U.S. service members, with a weighted response rate of 9.6%. Four categories were used to define the study outcome: none, presenteeism, absenteeism, and both presenteeism and absenteeism. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the associations between these outcomes and physical symptoms, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and unmet health needs. The prevalence of co-occurrence of presenteeism and absenteeism was 7.6% (95% CI: 6.9-8.2%). After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, overall physical symptom severity was significantly associated with higher odds of presenteeism (aOR=3.77, 95% CI: 3.12-4.57), absenteeism (aOR=2.49, 95% CI: 1.49-4.18), and both outcomes occurring together (aOR=7.92, 95% CI: 6.33-9.89). All symptoms evaluated were linked to increased odds of presenteeism, absenteeism, and the combined category. Female gender and unmet health or substance use needs significantly raised the likelihood of all outcomes. Healthcare programs serving service members should identify high-risk groups, address access to care needs, and establish support systems to promote sustained mental and physical health and readiness.