Self-reported Working Conditions Research Articles

Health Inequalities According to Plant Size—Comparison of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Assessing plant size-related differences based on self-reported working conditions and their influence on perceived symptoms at workplace. A total of 799 metal workers from 9 small-sized enterprises (SE) and 10 medium-sized enterprises (ME) German metal working plants were interviewed in 2007/2008. Inclusion criteria were "wet work" and willingness to participate (response rate: 58% in ME, 67.7% in SE). Workers in SE complained more often of hand eczema (20.2% vs 13.8%) whereas workers in ME more frequently reported breathing problems (4.2% vs 0.9%). Work safety was higher in ME. The higher rate of skin impairment in SE might be explained by a lower level of work safety. However, the higher frequency of perceived respiratory symptoms in ME seems to contradict this assumption and except plant size there might exist another potential confounder, especially for breathing impairment.

Psychosocial work conditions and registered sickness absence: a 3-year prospective cohort study among office employees

PurposeTo investigate associations between a wide variety of psychosocial work conditions and sickness absence in a medium-sized company.MethodsProspective cohort study of 395 employees working in an insurance office. Self-reported psychosocial work conditions were measured by questionnaire in January 2002 and linked to registered sickness absence in the period January 2002 to December 2004 adjusting for earlier sick leave and psychological distress.ResultsThe questionnaires of 244 employees were eligible for analysis. Decision authority and co-worker support were associated with sickness absence days, but their associations with sickness absence episodes were not significant. Role clarity was associated with the number of sickness absence days, but only with the number of short sickness absence episodes in women.ConclusionsThe wide variety of investigated psychosocial work conditions contributed little to the explanation of sickness absence in the medium-sized insurance office.

Examination of factors associated with the mental health status of principals

The rise in globalization, new technologies and changes in workforce demographics have created new work environments. As a result, countries around the world are seeking to restructure their educational systems to better prepare future generations for the challenges that they will face in this new labour market. These trends have also introduced new and increased demands on the educational sector and especially school principals who are responsible for the quality of education in schools. This study examines the association between mental health status and self-reported working conditions of principals. Our findings highlight potential mental health problems among principals. The results provide evidence that their satisifaction with their work characteristics are associated with their mental health status. They also indicate areas in which school boards may be well positioned to address some of the potential organizational difficulties encountered by this group.

Influence of self-reported work conditions and health on full, partial and no return to work after long-term sickness absence

This study aimed at describing the frequency of full, partial, and no return to work after long-term sick leave and at ascertaining the influence of psychosocial work conditions, work ability and health, reported before the onset of sick leave, on full and partial return to work. Altogether 853 public-sector employees in Sweden, mainly women, with at least one sick leave lasting > or = 28 days, were studied. The outcome was the level of sick leave 2 years after the sick leave began. Potential predictors were self-rated health, work ability, and psychosocial work conditions assessed by questionnaire before the sick leave. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated by multinomial regression analyses. Altogether 41% of the participants went directly from full sick leave to full return to work; 21% had periods of partial return to work, but, at the 2-year follow-up, were fully back to work; 15% had partial return to work; and 23% were still not working. A relaxed work situation, a combination of low demands and high decision latitude, increased the odds for full (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.60-4.62) and partial (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.21-4.85) return to work. Negative consequences of organizational changes were associated with decreased odds for full return to work (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.38-0.77). Good self-rated health and work ability were associated with full return to work. Partial return to work often precedes full return to work, but also operates as a long-term solution for remaining occupationally active. Promoting relatively low demands and high decision latitude at work may support both full and partial return to work after long sick leaves.

Does the job demand—control model correspond to externally assessed demands and control for both women and men?

To explore externally assessed demands and control for both women and men in each of the groups of the job demand-control (JDC) model, which itself was based on self-reported data. A specific aim was to better understand why health conditions among women with active jobs were as bad as those among women with high-strain jobs in some earlier studies. Expert assessments were made through direct observation and interviews concerning time pressure, hindrances, influence, and creative work tasks. The sample consisted of 203 men and women in 85 occupations. The four groups of the JDC model (high strain, low strain, active, and passive) were constructed from self-reported data. Most comparative analyses of the JDC groups showed that external assessments corresponded to self-reports in the expected direction for both women and men, although not always statistically significant. However, in the active job situation, external assessments deviated from self-reports in different directions for women and men. Women had more hindrances and less influence over their work, while the situation was reversed for men. Women in active jobs worked more often than men in an organization with mostly female staff and in a predominantly female occupation. Associations between self-reported working conditions and health might be underestimated among women reporting an active job situation. Our findings contribute to the discussion on why the results in some studies show that active jobs among women are as hazardous for health as high-strain jobs.

Associations Between Self-Reported Working Conditions and Registered Health and Safety Results

To investigate the association between self-reported working conditions and registered health and safety results in a petroleum company in Norway. We analyzed data from company surveys of working and organizational conditions in 2003 and 2004 and data from the company's files of sickness absence, personal injuries, serious incidents, and undesirable incidents in 2003 and 2004 as well as personal injuries from 2000 to 2004 using Pearson's correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analyses. Good perception of confidence in management in 2003 and 2004 was significantly negatively correlated with the number of personal injuries from 2000 to 2004. Management style and trust in the manager are important factors for predicting personal injuries. The company's working and organizational survey might be used as an indicator for injury risk.

Self-reported musculoskeletal pain and working conditions among employees in the Swedish public sector

Musculoskeletal disorders constitute a considerable public health problem, often resulting in sickness absence, particularly in public sector employees. Increased knowledge on how this is related to individual and work-related factors is required. The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between self-reported musculoskeletal pain and the following factors: physical and psychosocial work conditions, lifestyle, psychosomatic symptoms and sick leave. A comprehensive questionnaire was completed by a total of 2523 people, of which 87% were women and 13% men. The participants were employed in public hospitals, educational institutions, home care services for the elderly and domestic/catering services in a Swedish county. The response rate was 92%. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the high level of self-reported musculoskeletal pain was highly associated with strenuous physical and psychosocial work conditions. The physical factor with the highest odds ratio (OR) was working in a forward-bent position. High work demands was the most prominent psychosocial factor and distinctly associated with musculoskeletal pain among men. Physical work strain and other demanding working conditions, which were associated with musculoskeletal pain, were frequent among employees in home care services for the elderly and domestic/catering services. There was a strong association between long-term sick leave and high musculoskeletal pain. Furthermore, there was a strong association between a high level of musculoskeletal pain and the exhibition of psychosomatic symptoms in both women and men; this is an interaction that may intensify the total experience of illness and thus needs to be further investigated.

Self-reported working conditions of VDU operators and associations with musculoskeletal symptoms: a cross-sectional study focussing on gender differences

The aim of the present study was to describe working conditions and the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among male and female VDU operators, and to assess associations between work-related physical and psychosocial exposures and neck and upper limb symptoms by gender. The study population comprised a variety of occupations from both private and public sectors. Data on physical and psychosocial exposures were collected by questionnaires, as were data on musculoskeletal symptoms. Univariate associations between exposures and symptoms affecting the neck and upper limbs were estimated by calculating the prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals. We also assessed the potential excess odds ratio attributable to interaction between gender and, one by one, exposure variable. Women ( n=785) used the computer on average 3.9 h/day and men ( n=498) 3.6. Variation of different work tasks was lower among females than among males. Nineteen per cent of the women and 12% of the men did >3 h of continued computer work without breaks (>10 min) at least twice a week. Twice as many women as men experienced high job strain (high demands and low decision latitude). A higher proportion of women than men reported symptoms ⩾3 days the preceding month from the upper body, irrespective of body region. For many of the studied exposures the prevalence of symptoms in one or several body regions was increased with increasing exposure, indicating exposure-response relationships. Duration of computer work was associated with symptoms among both men and women. Only among men, duration of work with a non-keyboard computer input device was associated with symptoms. Only among women, job strain was associated with symptoms. Time pressure was associated with higher prevalence of symptoms among women. Among men, time pressure was associated with lower prevalence of symptoms. Thus, the associations differed between the genders. Women experienced higher prevalence of symptoms than men in all body regions and they were more often exposed to physical and psychosocial conditions that in previous studies have been considered harmful, than men. Relevance to industry Work-related exposures and the associations between these factors and musculoskeletal symptoms among VDU operators differed in some respect between men and women. This should be considered in intervention programs. The results from this study gives further support to the advice that duration of computer work, time pressure and job strain should be reduced in order to decrease the risk of muskuloskeletal disorders among professional computer workers.

Need for job adjustment in pregnancy: Early prediction based on work history

Objective - To examine whether a woman's need for job adjustment in pregnancy can be predicted by a short interview on working conditions at the first prenatal visit. Design - Midwives included a semi-structured work history during the interview of unselected first prenatal visits. Their early prediction about the woman's need for job adjustment was compared with the woman's own later report of such need and the need expressed as a risk score for preterm birth based on the woman's self-reported working conditions. Data on both were collected by a questionnaire presented to the woman at about the 36th week of pregnancy. Setting - Seven maternity centres in Oslo, Norway, April 1993-March 1994. Subjects - 160 pregnant women in paid work. Main outcome measures - The proportion of predictions of presence (positive predictive value) or absence (negative predictive value) of need that was confirmed by the woman's later report, or the risk score. Results - The positive predictive value was 86% and the negative predicitve value 50% with the woman's later report as reference, and 56 and 79%, respectively, with the risk score for preterm birth as reference. Conclusion - The work history allows early prediction of need for job adjustment in pregnancy.

A cross-sectional study of self-reported work conditions and psychiatric health in native Swedes and immigrants.

Several studies have demonstrated that immigrants in Scandinavian countries are more affected by psychosocial disabilities than the native-born population. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possible impact of work-related stressors on psychiatric health in immigrants compared to native Swedes. The study included a cluster selected cohort of 1,040 men born in 1944 (participation ratio = 79.9%), living in Gothenburg, Sweden. Of these, 182 (18.0%) were immigrants, defined as being born outside Sweden. Information on work conditions and psychiatric health were obtained by self-administered questionnaires. Employment in native Swedes showed inverse associations to frequent use of anxiolytics [relative risk (RR) = 0.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.06-0.4], frequent use of hypnotics (RR = 0.1; CI = 0.02-0.2) and use of antidepressants (RR = 0.3; CI = 0.2-0.5). None of the employed immigrants used anxiolytics or hypnotics frequently. Swedes seemed to display a number of psychiatric ill-health factors related to working conditions. These factors included frequent use of hypnotics, frequent insomnia, use of antidepressants, a high degree of melancholy, and were related to shift work, dissatisfaction with current work and management and a low degree of influence on work situation, often related to a high degree of stress at work and a frequent desire to change type of work. These associations were not seen in immigrants, apart from the risk of frequent insomnia (RR = 4.7; CI = 1.2-18.3) and dissatisfaction with colleagues (RR = 10.4; CI = 2.2-48.8) when working in shift. With a few exceptions, non-optimal working environment was associated with a low degree of life satisfaction in both groups. It was hypothesized that optimal working conditions are important for maintaining psychiatric health, and that immigrants, when employed, seem less affected by impaired working conditions than native Swedes.

Are social inequalities as associated with the risk of ischaemic heart disease a result of psychosocial working conditions?

Large social inequalities exist in the risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD), and they are only partly explained by established cardiovascular disease risk factors. Social class differences in psychosocial working conditions could be important explanatory factors. In a cohort of 1752 employed males, age in years, mean (S.D.): 59.7 (3.5), we investigated the issue. Self-reported psychosocial working conditions examined were: influence on the job, work monotony, work pace, degree of satisfaction with immediate superiors and colleagues, and ability to relax after working hours. One hundred and fourteen men were excluded due to prevalent cardiovascular disease. During the follow-up period (1985/86–1989), 46 men (approx. 3%) suffered an IHD event, 11 events were fatal. Compared with the rest, the highest social class had a relative risk with 95% CI (RR) of IHD of 0.26 (0.06-1.09), an association which was not explained by major potentially confounding or effect modifying factors: smoking, alcohol, physical activity, blood pressure, hypertension, body mass index, serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, serum HDL, and serum selenium. Including psychosocial factors in the multivariate model had little influence on the estimate, RR = 0.21 (0.05-0.95), and yet there were highly significant differences in psychosocial working conditions between social classes. Neither selfreported influence on the job, work monotony, work pace, degree of satisfaction with immediate superiors and colleagues, nor interactions of the above factors were significantly associated with risk of IHD. However, men who reported that they were incapable of relaxing after working hours had a highly significant approximately threefold increased risk of IHD. We conclude that in middle-aged and elderly males self-reported, i.e. subjective psychosocial working conditions, did not contribute to the explanation of social inequalities in IHD, and that self-reported incapability to relax after work was associated with an increased risk of IHD.

Stress, health and the working environment of Swedish prison staff

Abstract A random stratified sample of just over 2000 was drawn from staff working in 67 different prisons in Sweden. Questionnaires on working conditions and symptoms of ill health were administered and subjects were given health examinations. Morning plasma Cortisol and gamma glutamyltransferase (g GT) levels were measured and factual information on the prisons was collected for use in the analyses. There were differences between prisons in terms of both objective and self-reported working conditions which appeared to affect health status, physiological state and sick leave rate. Cardiovascular and hypertensive conditions were found more often among prison staff than among a large reference group made up of many different occupations. Sick leave rates among prison staff, especially those over 45 years old, were very high compared with this reference group. The situation appeared particularly difficult in prisons with a high proportion of drug abusing inmates. The data allowed the identification of several factors which might counteract the effects of stress at work: a proactive management style, goal consensus among staff, a high degree of decision latitude, satisfaction with work performance and a supportive psychosocial climate.

Work conditions and urinary excretion of catecholamines--a study of prison staff in Sweden.

The hypothesis to be tested was whether characteristics of work situations affect the physiology of people when the effects of individual differences in medical/behavioral factors are minimized. Four prisons with different objective work conditions were chosen. The psychosocial work situation was recorded in a self-administered questionnaire. Morning plasma cortisol, blood pressure, and urinary excretion of catecholamines were measured. Analyses of variance showed that the four prisons differed significantly as to mean levels of decision latitude and skill discretion. Analyses of variance also showed significant differences between the prisons with regard to mean levels of noradrenaline at night during leisure time and a tendency towards differences in work time. The rank order of mean levels of noradrenaline in the four prisons was the same as the inverted rank order of mean levels in self-reported work conditions. Thus it seems that when collective data are used and when adjusted for other variables which might have an association with the dependent variables, differences in self-reported work conditions are reflected in the urinary excretion of noradrenaline. Of the three physiological variables used as dependent variables, urinary excretion of noradrenaline reflected arousal as an effect of work conditions more accurately than the other variables.