Physical Work Demands of Childcare Workers in Denmark: Device-Based Measurements and Workplace Observations Among 199 Childcare Workers from 16 Day Nurseries

Abstract Objectives Childcare workers in Denmark have high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and sickness absence, but the existing knowledge of their physical work demands is limited, hampering preventive initiatives. This study aimed to assess the physical work demands with accelerometers and workplace observations of childcare workers handling children age 0–3. Methods Data collection consisted of an electronic survey, anthropometric measurements, accelerometer measurements providing information of physical activity types and postures with Acti4 software from five consecutive workdays, as well as 4-h visual workplace observation per childcare worker from 16 Danish nurseries. Results In total, 199 childcare workers were enrolled in the study. A total of 4181 working hours of accelerometer measurements and 722 h of workplace observations were carried out. Accelerometer measurements showed that they spent about half of the working day (44.8%) in sedentary postures, and the rest standing (22.8%), moving (13.0%), walking (14.6%), running (0.1%), and climbing stairs (0.7%), with 4.1% in knee straining postures (kneeling and squatting) and 4.3% forward trunk inclination >60°. Workplace observations showed that they carried children 1.8% of the working hours. Conclusions Physical work demands of Danish childcare workers are characterized by about half of the workday being sedentary, and the remaining of the workday being quite evenly distributed between standing and dynamic activities, with low exposures to carrying children. Their exposure to forward bending of the trunk and knee straining postures could impose a risk for MSP and sickness absence, and preventive initiatives should be considered.

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Long-term sickness absence from combined factors related to physical work demands: prospective cohort study

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/cky073 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (5) ◽

pp. 824-829 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Lars L Andersen ◽

Sannie V Thorsen ◽

Mari-Ann Flyvholm ◽

Andreas Holtermann

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Sickness Absence ◽

Prospective Cohort Study ◽

Prospective Cohort ◽

Physical Work ◽

Work Demands ◽

Physical Work Demands

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Important work demands for reducing sickness absence among workers with neck or upper back pain: a prospective cohort study

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽

10.1186/s12891-019-2909-1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Stefan Oliv ◽

Ewa Gustafsson ◽

Adnan Noor Baloch ◽

Mats Hagberg ◽

Helena Sandén

Keyword(s):

Back Pain ◽

Sickness Absence ◽

Work Ability ◽

Older Workers ◽

Age Groups ◽

Physical Work ◽

Work Demands ◽

Work Demand ◽

Physical Work Demands ◽

Work Ability Score

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate what exposure to work demands, physical and psychosocial, is associated with lower levels of sickness absence among workers with neck or upper back pain in different groups, by age, gender, duration of sickness absence and work ability score. Methods This study was a prospective study of 4567 workers with neck or upper back pain. Data on neck or upper back pain, work demand and work ability were obtained from the Swedish Work Environment survey over a 3–year period (2009–2013). Register data on sickness absence, 1 year after each survey was conducted, were obtained from the Swedish health insurance database. Analyses were performed to estimate the association between self-reported work demands and registered sick days > 14 days. The analyses were stratified for gender, age group and work ability score. Results Lower numbers of sick days were found for workers reporting low exposure to lifting ≥15 kg and twisted or forward-leaning work postures. Lower numbers of sick days were found for workers reporting high work control and seated work. The associations were generally stronger in the older age groups for the physical work demands. Conclusions The findings in this study suggest that certain physical work demands and having high control over one’s work can result in lower sickness absence, especially among middle-aged and older workers with neck or upper back pain.

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High physical work demands and working life expectancy in Denmark

Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1136/oemed-2019-106359 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 77 (8) ◽

pp. 576-582 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jacob Pedersen ◽

Bastian Bygvraa Schultz ◽

Ida E H Madsen ◽

Svetlana Solovieva ◽

Lars L Andersen

Keyword(s):

Life Expectancy ◽

Sickness Absence ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Working Life ◽

Physical Work ◽

Retirement Age ◽

Work Demands ◽

Physical Work Demands ◽

The Impact

ObjectiveIn most European countries, political reforms gradually increase the statutory retirement age to counter the economic costs of a growing elderly population. However, working to a high age may be difficult for people with hard physical labour. We aim to study the impact of high physical work demands on working life expectancy (WLE).MethodsWe combined physical work demands assessed by job exposure matrix (JEM) and longitudinal high-quality national registers (outcome) in 1.6 million Danish workers to estimate WLE and years of sickness absence, unemployment and disability pension. The JEM value for physical work demand is a summarised score of eight ergonomic exposures for 317 occupations groups, sex and age. The WLE was estimated using a multistate proportional hazards model in a 4-year follow-up period.ResultsIndividuals with high physical work demands had a significantly lower WLE, than those with low physical work demands, with largest differences seen among women. At age 30 years, women with high physical work demands can expect 3.1 years less working, 11 months more of sickness absence and 16 months more of unemployment than low-exposed women. For 30-year-old men, the corresponding results were 2.0 years, 12 months and 8 months, respectively.ConclusionOur findings show that high physical work demands are a marked risk factor for a shortened working life and increased years of sickness absence and unemployment. The results are important when selecting high-risk occupations, and expand the knowledge base for informed political decision making concerning statutory retirement age.

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High physical work demands have worse consequences for older workers: prospective study of long-term sickness absence among 69 117 employees

Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1136/oemed-2020-107281 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. oemed-2020-107281

Author(s):

Lars Louis Andersen ◽

Jacob Pedersen ◽

Emil Sundstrup ◽

Sannie Vester Thorsen ◽

Reiner Rugulies

Keyword(s):

Sickness Absence ◽

Older Workers ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Age Groups ◽

Physical Work ◽

Work Demands ◽

Physical Work Demands ◽

Environment And Health ◽

Prospective Association

ObjectiveThis study investigates the role of age for the prospective association between physical work demands and long-term sickness absence (LTSA).MethodsWe followed 69 117 employees of the general working population (Work Environment and Health in Denmark study 2012–2018), without LTSA during the past 52 weeks preceding initial interview, for up to 2 years in the Danish Register for Evaluation of Marginalisation. Self-reported physical work demands were based on a combined ergonomic index including seven different types of exposure during the working day. Using weighted Cox regression analyses controlling for years of age, gender, survey year, education, lifestyle, depressive symptoms and psychosocial work factors, we determined the interaction of age with physical work demands for the risk of LTSA.ResultsDuring follow-up, 8.4% of the participants developed LTSA. Age and physical work demands interacted (p<0.01). In the fully adjusted model, very high physical work demands were associated with LTSA with HRs of 1.18 (95% CI 0.93 to 1.50), 1.57 (95% CI 1.41 to 1.75) and 2.09 (95% CI 1.81 to 2.41) for 20, 40 and 60 years old (point estimates), respectively. Results remained robust in subgroup analyses including only skilled and unskilled workers and stratified for gender.ConclusionThe health consequences of high physical work demands increase with age. Workplaces should consider adapting physical work demands to the capacity of workers in different age groups.

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0112 Work environment and health in denmark – risk factors related to physical work demands for long-term sickness absence

10.1136/oemed-2017-104636.86 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Lars L Andersen

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Work Environment ◽

Sickness Absence ◽

Physical Work ◽

Work Demands ◽

Physical Work Demands ◽

Environment And Health

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Technically measured compositional physical work demands and prospective register-based sickness absence (PODESA): a study protocol

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-019-6581-z ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Sofie Dencker-Larsen ◽

Charlotte Lund Rasmussen ◽

Sannie Vester Thorsen ◽

Els Clays ◽

Thomas Lund ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sickness Absence ◽

Study Protocol ◽

Physical Work ◽

Work Demands ◽

Physical Work Demands

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Indicators and determinants of the years of working life lost: a narrative review

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1177/1403494821993669 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 140349482199366

Author(s):

Rahman Shiri ◽

Aapo Hiilamo ◽

Tea Lallukka

Keyword(s):

Life Expectancy ◽

Working Life ◽

Narrative Review ◽

Physical Work ◽

Work Demands ◽

Policy Changes ◽

Physical Work Demands ◽

Work Related ◽

Healthy Working ◽

Overweight Or Obesity

Objective: This narrative review summarizes the available indicators for working life expectancy and years of working life lost (YWLL) and their determinants. Methods: We searched PubMed and Embase databases from their inception until August 2020 and screened all studies proposing an indicator for working life expectancy or YWLL. We also reviewed studies focusing on sociodemographic, lifestyle and work-related determinants of working life expectancy and YWLL. The results were synthesized narratively. Results: We identified 13 different indicators for the length of working life or YWLL. The most frequently used indicators were ‘working life expectancy’, ‘healthy working life expectancy’, and YWLL. Working life expectancy and healthy working life expectancy are longer for men than women. Working life expectancy at the age of 50 has been increasing since the mid-90s, and the increase has been larger for women, reducing the sex difference. Working life is shorter for people with a low level of education, in lower occupational classes, for people exposed to high physical work demands, those living in the most socioeconomically deprived areas, people with overweight or obesity, smokers, people who are inactive during leisure time and in people with a chronic health problem. Conclusions: Despite increasing interest in understanding the determinants of YWLL, only a few studies have simultaneously considered multiple exit routes from the labour market. We propose a new measure for total YWLL considering all relevant exit routes from employment. This comprehensive measure can be used to assess the effect of given policy changes on prolonging working life.

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