Nonwork Variables Research Articles

Validation of the Occupational Depression Inventory in Sweden

BackgroundThe Occupational Depression Inventory (ODI) was recently devised to assess depressive symptoms that individuals specifically attribute to their work. One purpose of the ODI is to overcome limitations in current assessments of job-related distress. This study aimed to validate the Swedish version of the ODI.MethodsThe study involved 365 individuals employed in Sweden. In addition to the ODI, the study included the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, the Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire, the GAD-2, and the PHQ-9. We inquired into the factorial validity, dimensionality, scalability, test-score reliability, criterion validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and measurement invariance of the ODI.ResultsExploratory structural equation modeling bifactor analysis indicated that the ODI’s Swedish version meets the requirements for essential unidimensionality (e.g., explained common variance = 0.872). Measurement invariance held across sexes, age groups, and occupational categories. The instrument exhibited strong scalability (e.g., H = 0.662). The observed total scores thus accurately ranked respondents on the latent continuum underlying the scale. The ODI’s total-score reliability was high (e.g., McDonald’s ω = 0.929). Speaking to the instrument’s criterion validity, we found occupational depression to correlate, in the expected direction, with various work (e.g., job support) and nonwork (e.g., general anxiety) variables. Occupational depression showed large correlations with effort-reward imbalance (r = 0.613) and demand-control imbalance (r = 0.566) at work. Multiple regression analyses supported these associations further. As expected, we observed both a degree of convergent validity and a degree of discriminant validity when examining the ODI against the PHQ-9, an attribution-free measure of depression.DiscussionThis study indicates that the ODI performs well within the Swedish context, consistent with the findings obtained in other linguistic and geographic contexts. The ODI promises to help researchers, practitioners, and public health decision-makers address job-related distress more effectively.

Musculoskeletal pain trajectories of employees working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesIn March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid public health response which included mandatory working from home (WFH) for many employees. This study aimed to identify different trajectories of multisite musculoskeletal pain (MSP) amongst employees WFH during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined the influence of work and non-work factors.MethodsData from 488 participants (113 males, 372 females and 3 other) involved in the Employees Working from Home (EWFH) study, collected in October 2020, April and November 2021 were analysed. Age was categorised as 18–35 years (n = 121), 36–55 years (n = 289) and 56 years and over (n = 78). Growth Mixture Modelling (GMM) was used to identify latent classes with different growth trajectories of MSP. Age, gender, working hours, domestic living arrangements, workstation comfort and location, and psychosocial working conditions were considered predictors of MSP. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression was used to identify work and non-work variables associated with group membership.ResultsFour trajectories of MSP emerged: high stable (36.5%), mid-decrease (29.7%), low stable (22.3%) and rapid increase (11.5%). Decreased workstation comfort (OR 1.98, CI 1.02, 3.85), quantitative demands (OR 1.68, CI 1.09, 2.58), and influence over work (OR 0.78, CI 0.54, 0.98) was associated with being in the high stable trajectory group compared to low stable. Workstation location (OR 3.86, CI 1.19, 12.52) and quantitative work demands (OR 1.44, CI 1.01, 2.47) was associated with the rapid increase group.ConclusionsFindings from this study offer insights into considerations for reducing MSP in employees WFH. Key considerations include the need for a dedicated workstation, attention to workstation comfort, quantitative work demands, and ensuring employees have influence over their work.

Twelve-Month Stability of Accelerometer-Measured Occupational and Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Compensation Effects

Introduction: Little is known about the stability of occupational physical activity (PA) and documented compensation effects over time. Study objectives were to (a) determine the stability of accelerometer estimates of occupational and nonoccupational PA over 6 months and 1 year in adults who do not change jobs, (b) examine PA stability in office workers relative to employees with nonoffice jobs who may be more susceptible to seasonal perturbations in work tasks, and (c) examine the stability data for compensation effects seen at baseline in this sample. Methods: City/county government workers from a variety of labor sectors wore an accelerometer at initial data collection, and at 6 (n = 98) and 12 months (n = 38) following initial data collection. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for accelerometer counts and minutes by intensity, domain, and office worker status. Partial correlation coefficients were examined for compensation effects. Results: ICCs ranged from .19 to .91 for occupational and nonwork activity variables. ICCs were similar by office worker status. In both counts and minutes, greater occupational PA correlated with lower total nonwork PA. However, as minutes of occupational moderate to vigorous physical activity increased, nonoccupational moderate to vigorous physical activity did not decrease. Conclusions: There was moderate to high stability in occupational and nonoccupational PA over 6- and 12-month data collection. Occupational PA stability was greater in nonoffice workers, suggesting that those employees’ PA may be less prone to potential cyclical factors at the workplace. Confirmation of the compensation effect further supports the need for workplace intervention studies to examine changes in all intensities of activity during and outside of work time.

Individual Values and Work/Non-Work Conflict in Their Relationship to OCB

This study examines the relationship between (1) individual values, (2) work and non-work variables, and (3) organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and in-role performance. The study sample consisted of 372 teachers employed in 32 secular Jewish schools (the response rate was 60%). Data on OCB and in-role performance were provided by the schools’ principals. The results showed that three out of the four individual values (self-enhancement, self-transcendence, and conservation) were related to the two forms of OCB, altruistic and organizational, but not to in-role performance. The findings also showed a weak relationship between the non-work variables and the outcome variables, and a modest relationship between the work-domain variables and these outcomes. We concluded by suggesting some directions for such research.

A Longitudinal Study of Work After Retirement: Examining Predictors of Bridge Employment, Continued Career Employment, and Retirement.

Older employees are increasingly accepting bridge employment, which occurs when older workers take employment for pay after they retire from their main career. This study examined predictors of workers' decisions to engage in bridge employment versus full retirement and career employment. A national sample of 482 older people in the United States was surveyed regarding various work-related and nonwork related predictors of retirement decisions, and their retirement status was measured 5 years later. In bivariate analyses, both work-related variables (career goal achievement and experienced pressure to retire) and nonwork-related variables (psychological distress and traditional gender role orientation) predicted taking bridge employment, but in multinomial logistic regression, only nonwork variables had unique effects. Few predictors differentiated the bridge employed and fully retired groups. Nonwork variables were salient in making the decision to retire, and bridge employment may be conceptually more similar to full retirement than to career employment.

Quality of work life of librarians in government academic libraries in the Klang Valley, Malaysia

The success of any organization is highly dependent on how it attracts workers and motivates, and retains its workforce. Today’s organizations need to be more flexible and understanding, so that they are well prepared to develop their employees and enjoy their commitment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between work and non-work variables and quality of work life. It is anticipated that the contribution from this study will provide useful information to the top management level in organizations for the purpose of planning appropriate policies that can enhance employees’ overall life satisfaction. The research questions, which serve as a foundation of this study, focus on the relationship between work and non-work variables and quality of work life. This study applied a quantitative research design as well as descriptive and correlation approach. Respondents are all librarians working in government academic libraries in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. An online survey was used to gather data for each participating library. The questionnaire was divided into two sections: Section A, the socio-demographic information; and Section B, the seven questions related to the study. The data were analyzed using Pearson Correlation Analysis. Findings from this study indicated that both work variables and non-work variables do matter in determining the quality of work life. The findings of this research also can be beneficial in Human Resource Management issues and trends in libraries administration.

Quality of work life of librarians in government academic libraries in the Klang Valley, Malaysia

The success of any organization is highly dependent on how it attracts workers and motivates, and retains its workforce. Today’s organizations need to be more flexible and understanding, so that they are well prepared to develop their employees and enjoy their commitment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between work and non-work variables and quality of work life. It is anticipated that the contribution from this study will provide useful information to the top management level in organizations for the purpose of planning appropriate policies that can enhance employees’ overall life satisfaction. The research questions, which serve as a foundation of this study, focus on the relationship between work and non-work variables and quality of work life. This study applied a quantitative research design as well as descriptive and correlation approach. Respondents are all librarians working in government academic libraries in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. An online survey was used to gather data for each participating library. The questionnaire was divided into two sections: Section A, the socio-demographic information; and Section B, the seven questions related to the study. The data were analyzed using Pearson Correlation Analysis. Findings from this study indicated that both work variables and non-work variables do matter in determining the quality of work life. The findings of this research also can be beneficial in Human Resource Management issues and trends in libraries administration.

Chronic Back Pain and Associated Work and Non-Work Variables Among Farmworkers from Starr County, Texas

ABSTRACT Objectives: This study estimated the prevalence of chronic back pain among migrant farmworker family members and identified associated work and non-work variables. Methods: Migrant farmworkers (n = 390 from 267 families) from Starr County, Texas were interviewed in their home once a year for 2 years. The original survey included items measuring demographics, smoking, sleep, farm work, and chronic back pain. For this cross-sectional analysis, multi-level logistic regression was used to identify associated work and other variables associated with chronic back pain while accounting for intraclass correlations due to repeated measures and multiple family members. Results: The prevalence of chronic back pain during the last migration season ranged from 9.5% among the youngest children to 33.3% among mothers. Variables significantly associated with chronic back pain were age (odds ratio [OR], 1.03, per year increase), depressive symptoms while migrating (OR, 8.72), fewer than 8 hours of sleep at home in Starr County (OR, 2.26), fairly bad/very bad quality of sleep while migrating (OR, 3.25), sorting crops at work (OR, 0.18), and working tree crops (OR, 11.72). Conclusion: The role of work exposures, depressive symptoms, and sleep in chronic back pain among farmworkers warrants further examination. Refinements in outcome and exposure assessments are also needed given the lack of a standardized case definition and the variety of tasks and crops involved in farm work in the United States.

Gender specificity in the prediction of clinically diagnosed depression

The recent increase in the incidence of clinical depression represents a major public health and socio-economical burden. Depression has its roots in both professional and private domains but few epidemiological studies have looked at predictors of long term clinical depression as defined by a sick-leave of 28 days or more and a diagnosis by a general practitioner in both genders. To study baseline predictors of long term spells of clinical depression within the framework of a large prospective study, the Belstress Study, in 6,659 men and 2,737 women aged 35-59 years at baseline survey. Kaplan-Meyer survival curves and Cox regression models were used in order to relate long term clinical depression defined by a sick-leave of 28 days or more to baseline socio-demographic and work and non-work variables. Density incidence of long term clinical depression is 0.5 years and 1.1/1,000 persons/months for men and women respectively. In univariate analyses specific gender predictors were observed as for men predictors besides level of education, were work related: high job-strain OR 1.67 (CI 95% 1.03; 2.71) and work dissatisfaction OR 1.78 (CI 95% 1.09; 2.91) whereas for women baseline predictors are related to private life dissatisfaction OR 1.84 (CI 95% 1.16; 2.91) and to a lesser degree low social support from co-workers OR 1.50 (CI 95% 0.93; 2.40). In both genders baseline severe depression symptoms defined by a CES-D score of percentile 90 or above is a predictor of long term sick-leave for clinical depression. In multivariate analyses, in a model without baseline CES-D high job-strain and job dissatisfaction remain independent predictors for incident clinical depression in men whereas only private life dissatisfaction remains a significant predictor in women. When added to the model CES-D is the most powerful predictor of clinical depression in both genders. Together with level of education, work dissatisfaction remains borderline significant in men whereas private life dissatisfaction remains an independent predictor for clinical depression in women. In men baseline symptoms of depression alleviate the impact of high job-strain on incident clinical depression whereas in women, private life dissatisfaction remains an independent predictor of clinical depression.

Stressful Life Events and Occupational Accidents

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the association between stressful life events and occupational accidents. Methods This was a population-based case–control study, carried out in the city of Botucatu, in southeast Brazil. The cases consisted of 108 workers who had recently experienced occupational accidents. Each case was matched with three controls. The cases and controls answered a questionnaire about recent exposure to stressful life events. Results Reporting of “environmental problems”, “being a victim of assault”, “not having enough food at home” and “nonoccupational fatigue” were found to be risk factors for work-related accidents with estimated incidence rate ratios of 1.4 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.1–1.7], 1.3 (95% CI 1.1–1.7), 1.3 (95% CI 1.1–1.6), and 1.4 (95% CI 1.2–1.7) respectively. Conclusions The findings of the study suggested that nonwork variables contribute to occupational accidents, thus broadening the understanding of these phenomena, which can support new approaches to the prevention of occupational accidents.

Stressful life events and occupational accidents

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between stressful life events and occupational accidents. This was a population-based case-control study, carried out in the city of Botucatu, in southeast Brazil. The cases consisted of 108 workers who had recently experienced occupational accidents. Each case was matched with three controls. The cases and controls answered a questionnaire about recent exposure to stressful life events. Reporting of "environmental problems", "being a victim of assault", "not having enough food at home" and "nonoccupational fatigue" were found to be risk factors for work-related accidents with estimated incidence rate ratios of 1.4 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.1-1.7], 1.3 (95% CI 1.1-1.7), 1.3 (95% CI 1.1-1.6), and 1.4 (95% CI 1.2-1.7) respectively. The findings of the study suggested that nonwork variables contribute to occupational accidents, thus broadening the understanding of these phenomena, which can support new approaches to the prevention of occupational accidents.

The relative importance of antecedents to cross-cultural adjustment: implications for managing a global workforce

This study extends previous research on cross-cultural adjustment through a field study of 196 American business executives on assignment in Japan, Netherlands, and South Korea. The results demonstrate the relative importance of learning orientation, self-efficacy, parent and host company socialization, work, and non-work variables, on three facets of cross-cultural adjustment (work, interaction, and general). While past research has consistently shown that family adjustment is by far the strongest predictor of cross-cultural adjustment, this study reveals that socialization at the host company, previously proposed yet unmeasured, may be as strong as a predictor. Implications for practice and directions for future research are offered.

Risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome in a general population.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the individual, physical, and psychosocial risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome in a general population. METHODS: Population based case-control study in Marshfield epidemiological study area in Wisconsin,...

Work and nonwork stressors, negative affective states, and pain complaints among firefighters and paramedics

Prior research has suggested that occupational stressors may contribute to the etiology, progression, and chronicity of pain problems in workers. This study used anonymous survey methods to assess the prevalence and frequency of self-reported pain symptoms and their relationships to demographic variables, sources of occupational stressors, nonwork stressors and affective distress in a large sample (N≈2000) of employed career public sector firefighters and paramedics. The findings were consistent with those of previous studies of high strain workers. More than 95% of the firefighter/paramedic sample reported at least one pain complaint (using a 1 week assessment time frame). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis entering demographic, occupational, and nonwork stressors, as well as measures of negative affective states targeting total pain scores, yielded significant relationships. Five occupational stressors were associated with respondent pain complaints. The results also suggest that negative affective states mediated the relationships between work and nonwork variables, and pain complaint outcomes. The implications of these findings for the development of preventive interventions for firefighters and paramedics as well as other emergency service workers are considered.

A Multidimensional Approach to the Relation between Organizational Commitment and Nonwork Participation

This study examined the relationship between organizational commitment and nonwork participation using a multidimensional approach. Female nursing staff of two hospitals in western Canada were surveyed and a total of 227 useable questionnaires were returned for a response rate of 47%. The affective, continuance, and normative dimensions of organizational commitment were measured. The nonwork variables included personal resource enrichment and depletion from nonwork participation, work interference with nonwork, organizational support for nonwork, and personal strategies used to manage multiple domains. Although the nonwork variables explained a significant percentage of the variance for all three dimensions of organizational commitment, their individual contributions differed across the dimensions. Continued attention both to nonwork participation and to the various dimensions of organizational commitment was recommended in future research.

Job strain and health-related quality of life in a national sample.

Studies of the health effects of job strain have focused on morbidity and mortality as outcomes. This is the first study to examine the relationship of job strain to more comprehensive health status measures that encompass health-related quality of life. In a national cross-sectional survey, 1319 working men and women, aged 18 through 64 years, completed a modified version of the Job Content Questionnaire that classified workers' jobs into four categories: high strain, passive, low strain, and active. Subjects also completed the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey and a health distress scale. Logistic regression analyses were employed that controlled for age, race/ethnicity, gender, and education. Both work and nonwork variables were included. Job strain was significantly associated with five of nine components of health-related quality of life: physical functioning, role functioning related to physical health, vitality, social functioning, and mental health. Job strain made a modest yet statistically significant contribution beyond the effects of chronic illness and psychosocial variables. The results provide justification for further investigating the role of job strain as an independent risk factor for health-related quality of life.

When Yankee Comes Home: Factors Related to Expatriate and Spouse Repatriation Adjustment

This study examined anticipatory and in-country individual, job, organizational, and non-work variables and their relationship with work, interaction, and general repatriation adjustment for U.S. managers. The study also examined anticipatory and in-country individual and non-work variables and their relationship with interaction and general repatriation adjustment for the spouses of the managers who were married. Age, total time overseas, social status, and housing conditions were generally related to all facets of repatriation adjustment for both expatriates and spouses. Practical and research implications are explored.

Female clerical workers' perceived work and nonwork stress and dissatisfaction as predictors of psychological distress.

The present investigation explored the predictability of psychological distress from perceived work and nonwork stress and dissatisfaction for a sample of 108 female clerical workers. A stepwise multiple regression was performed on the data, and it was found that nonwork variables contributed more to perceived psychological distress than did work variables. Implications of this research as related to gender and organizational concerns are discussed.

Cross-Cultural Influences on Work and Nonwork Contributors to Quality of Life

The relative contributions of work and nonwork variables to quality of life were studied with a sample of 311 employed, white, Hispanic, and black Americans and Mexican nationals. Multiple regression and hierarchical regression analyses found no significant relationship between ethnic group membership and quality of life. As hypothesized, home life and family nonwork variables accounted for more unique variance in quality of life than did the work variables of job satisfaction, job stress, and job level. Self-esteem explained unique variance in quality of life across the sample.

In Search of Working-Class Ideology: A Test of Two Perspectives

This article begins as a test of two types of explanation of working-class consciousness. The first focuses upon structural factors. The second identifies nonwork variables as the critical determinant of workers' consciousness. Based on information collected from manual workers in two plants in Edmonton, Canada, the present research finds that neither perspective emerges as a significant determinant of worker ideology. The second part of the article addresses this issue and offers an explanation of the failure to account for much of the variation in workers' ideological thinking.