Abstract
BackgroundThe current labour market is becoming more flexible and informal, with job insecurity selectively affecting young workers. However, the role of these increasing adverse psychosocial working conditions on health outcomes remains little known among newly employed workers.ObjectiveTo estimate the associations between psychosocial work environment and musculoskeletal outcomes (widespread pain syndrome features and regional pain) in a population-based sample of young workers.MethodsCross-sectional data from workers aged 21 years were collected during the third wave of the EPITeen cohort study (2011-2013; n=650). The Job Content Questionnaire was used to characterize the psychosocial work environment according to the demand-control-support model. Data on pain and non-pain dimensions of the widespread pain syndrome (Fibromyalgia Survey Questionnaire) as well as on regional musculoskeletal pain (Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire) were also collected. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were computed using logistic regression and all estimates were adjusted for sex, education and occupational biomechanical demands.ResultsJob insecurity was significantly associated to the non-pain dimension of the widespread pain syndrome (adjusted OR [95% CI]=1.51 [1.08, 2.12]). Young workers with strain jobs were significantly more likely to report high levels of non-pain symptoms when compared with those with no-strain jobs and this effect was even stronger when social support was added to the main exposure: workers with strain jobs and low social support had twice the odds of reporting high levels of non-pain features than those with high strain but high social support jobs (adjusted OR=1.86, 95% CI: 1.04, 3.31). These significant associations were not observed when widespread pain or multisite regional pain were the outcomes.ConclusionIn the beginning of professional life, high strain jobs were associated to non-pain complaints, especially when the work environment provided also low social support.
Highlights
Occupation is an important determinant of health in general and its overall positive or negative effect on well-being results from the interaction between individual characteristics and workrelated features, the latter comprising biomechanical, psychosocial and sociological axes [1, 2].The impact of psychosocial work environment on health is relevant under the current change of the labour market [3, 4], where jobs become more flexible [precarious, temporary, part-time], informal [unregulated, home based, non-standard work arrangements] and unstable/insecure [5]
Job insecurity was significantly associated to the non-pain dimension of the widespread pain syndrome
In the beginning of professional life, high strain jobs were associated to non-pain complaints, especially when the work environment provided low social support
Summary
Occupation is an important determinant of health in general and its overall positive or negative effect on well-being results from the interaction between individual characteristics and workrelated features, the latter comprising biomechanical, psychosocial and sociological axes [1, 2].The impact of psychosocial work environment on health is relevant under the current change of the labour market [3, 4], where jobs become more flexible [precarious, temporary, part-time], informal [unregulated, home based, non-standard work arrangements] and unstable/insecure [5]. Beyond the biomedical focus on work-related musculoskeletal disorders captured through the assessment of regional pain [12, 13], psychosocial dimensions have the potential to influence the occurrence of widespread pain syndrome features, including both its pain and non-pain components [14]. This hypothesis is supported by findings showing that workplaces characterized by high strain, low peer-support, conflicting tasks and/or stressful demands contribute importantly to a number of other physical and mental health conditions, namely cardiovascular diseases [15, 16] and clinical depression [17]. The role of these increasing adverse psychosocial working conditions on health outcomes remains little known among newly employed workers
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
