Can a poor psychosocial work environment and insufficient organizational resources explain the higher risk of ill-health and sickness absence in human service occupations? Evidence from a Swedish national cohort

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 310-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanda Aronsson ◽  
Susanna Toivanen ◽  
Constanze Leineweber ◽  
Anna Nyberg
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Workplace Violence ◽  
Psychosocial Work Environment ◽  
Organizational Resources ◽  
Psychosocial Work ◽  
Work Time ◽  
Time Control ◽  
Organizational Resource ◽  
Emotional Demands

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate differences in burnout, self-rated health (SRH) and sickness absence between human service occupations (HSOs) and other occupations, and whether they can be attributed to differences in psychosocial work environment and organizational resources. Methods: Data were derived from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health, an approximately representative sample of the Swedish working population ( n = 4408). Employment in HSOs, psychosocial work environment and organizational resources in 2012 predicted relative risks of sickness absence, burnout and suboptimal SRH in 2014 using modified Poisson regressions. The psychosocial work factors’ and organizational resource variables’ relative importance were estimated by adding them to the models one by one, and with population attributable fractions (PAFs). Results: Employment in HSOs was associated with a higher risk of sickness absence and the risk was explained by psychosocial and organizational factors, particularly high emotional demands, low work-time control and exposure to workplace violence. Employment in HSOs was not associated with burnout after sociodemographic factors were adjusted for, and furthermore not with SRH. A lower risk of suboptimal SRH was found in HSOs than in other occupations with equivalent psychosocial work environment and organizational resources. PAFs indicated that psychosocial work environment and organizational resource improvements could lead to morbidity reductions for all outcomes; emotional demands were more important in HSOs. Conclusions: HSOs had higher risks of sickness absence and burnout than other occupations. The most important work factors to address were high emotional demands, low work-time control, and exposure to workplace violence.

Comparing the new interdisciplinary Health in work intervention to conventional monodisciplinary welfare interventions at Norwegian workplaces: Protocol for a pragmatic cluster-randomized trial (Preprint)

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anje Christina Höper ◽  
Christoffer Lilja Terjesen ◽  
Nils Fleten
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Health Anxiety ◽  
Randomised Trial ◽  
Psychosocial Work Environment ◽  
Cluster Randomised Trial ◽  
Health Complaints ◽  
Psychosocial Work ◽  
Treatment As Usual

BACKGROUND Musculoskeletal and mental health complaints are the dominant diagnostic categories in long-term sick leave and disability pensions in Norway. Continuing to work despite health complaints is often beneficial, and a good work environment can improve work inclusion for people affected. In 2001, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) began to offer inclusive work measures (IWM) to improve the psychosocial work environment, as well as work inclusion of people with health complaints. In 2018, NAV and specialist health services started offering the new collaborative Health in work programme. Its workplace intervention (HIW) presents health- and welfare information that may improve employees´ coping ability regarding common health complaints. It encourages understanding of coworkers´ health complaints and appropriate work adjustments, in order to increase work participation. OBJECTIVE This protocol presents an ongoing, two-arm, pragmatic cluster-randomised trial. Its aim is to compare the effect of monodisciplinary IWM (treatment as usual) and interdisciplinary HIW in terms of changes in overall sickness absence, healthcare utilisation, health-related quality of life, and costs. Secondary objectives are to compare changes in individual sickness absence, psychosocial work environment, job and life satisfaction, health, and health anxiety, both at the individual and the group level. METHODS Data will be collected from national registers, trial-specific registrations and questionnaires. Effects will be explored by difference-in-difference analysis, and regression modelling. Multilevel analysis will visualise any cluster effects by intraclass correlation coefficients. RESULTS Inclusion is completed with 97 workplaces and 1383 individual consents. CONCLUSIONS Data collection will be finished with the last questionnaires to be sent out in July 2023. This trial will contribute to fill knowledge gaps about effectiveness and costs of workplace interventions, thereby benefitting health and welfare services, political decision-makers, and the public and business sectors. CLINICALTRIAL The trial is approved by the Norwegian Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics and registered in Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04000035). Findings will be published in reports, peer-reviewed journals and at conferences.

scholarly journals The contribution of the psychosocial work environment to sickness absence in human service workers: Results of a 3-year follow-up study

Work & Stress ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 293-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reiner Rugulies ◽  
Karl B. Christensen ◽  
Marianne Borritz ◽  
Ebbe Villadsen ◽  
Ute Bültmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Human Service ◽  
Psychosocial Work Environment ◽  
Psychosocial Work ◽  
Service Workers ◽  
Human Service Workers ◽  
Follow Up Study

Psychosocial Work Environment Predictors of Short and Long Spells of Registered Sickness Absence During a 2-year Follow Up

2006 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 591-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin L. Nielsen ◽  
Reiner Rugulies ◽  
Karl B. Christensen ◽  
Lars Smith-Hansen ◽  
Tage S. Kristensen
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Psychosocial Work Environment ◽  
Psychosocial Work

scholarly journals Associations between physical and psychosocial work environment factors and sickness absence incidence depend on the lengths of the sickness absence episodes: a prospective study of 27 678 Danish employees

2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-53
Author(s):  
Sannie Vester Thorsen ◽  
Mari-Ann Flyvholm ◽  
Jacob Pedersen ◽  
Ute Bültmann ◽  
Lars L Andersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Psychosocial Work Environment ◽  
Physical Work ◽  
Psychosocial Work ◽  
Role Conflicts ◽  
Environment Factors ◽  
Work Factors ◽  
Work Environment Factors

ObjectivesThis study examined if the association between work environment factors and sickness absence (SA) depended on the inclusion or exclusion of short-term SA episodes.MethodsWe linked the ‘Work Environment and Health in Denmark’ survey with the ‘Danish Register of Work Absences’ (n=27 678). Using covariate adjusted Cox regression, we examined the associations between work environment factors and SA by changing the cut-off points for the length of the SA episodes, for example, episodes ≥1 day, ≥6 days and ≥21 days. We examined three physical work environment factors: ‘Back bend or twisted’, ‘Lifting or carrying’, ‘Wet hands’ and three psychosocial work environment factors: ‘Poor influence’, ‘Role conflicts’ and ‘Bullying’.Results‘Back bend or twisted’ and ‘Lifting or carrying’ had small significant HRs for SA episodes ≥1 day and large and highly significant HRs for SA episodes ≥6 days and ≥21 days. ‘Wet hands’ had small significant HRs for SA episodes ≥1 day for both sexes and large and highly significant HR for ≥6 days for women. HRs of all three psychosocial factors were highly significant for SA episodes ≥1 day and ≥6 days for both sexes, and ‘Poor influence’ and ‘Role conflicts’ were significant for SA episodes ≥21 days for women.ConclusionsThe physical work factors had higher associations with SA when SA episodes of 1–5 days were excluded and focus was on SA episodes ≥6 days. The psychosocial work factors were strongly associated with SA both with and without SA episodes of 1–5 days included in the analyses.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document