Solidarity in the neighbourhood, social support at work and psychosomatic health problems

Aims: The aim of this study was to analyse the link between psychosocial factors in the neighbourhood and work environments, and psychosomatic health problems. Methods: The data were collected in the survey 'Life and Health', which was conducted in 2000 in six Swedish county councils. A total of 71,580 questionnaires were distributed to randomly selected individuals aged 18-79. A total of 46,636 respondents completed the questionnaire. This gives a response rate of around 65%. For the purpose of this study only gainfully employed individuals aged 18-64 are included, which gives a total of 22,164 individuals: 11,247 (50.7%) women and 10,917 (49.3%) men. Two scales were used to measure the psychosocial environments in the neighbourhood and at work. The link between these scales and psychosomatic health problems was analysed by using multinomial logistic regression. Results: The results show that both 'Psychosocial Neighbourhood Environment' (PNE) and 'Psychosocial Working Environment' (PWE), independently, are related to psychosomatic health problems. Hence, the health effects of social relations in the neighbourhood were not modified by the quality of social relations at work, or vice versa. The levels of psychosomatic health problems are highest for people experiencing a low degree of social solidarity in the neighbourhood and for those experiencing low degrees of supportive work relationships. Conclusion: The strong, but independent, effects of social factors related to the neighbourhood and to the workplace on psychosomatic health problems point to the importance of simultaneously considering social relations in different arenas in order to increase the knowledge of the connection between social relations and health

Social capital in relation to depression, musculoskeletal pain, and psychosomatic symptoms: a cross-sectional study of a large population-based cohort of Swedish adolescents

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Social capital has lately received much attention in health research. The present study investigated whether two measures of subjective social capital were related to psychosomatic symptoms, musculoskeletal pain, and depression in a large population of Swedish adolescents.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 7757 13-18 year old students anonymously completed the Survey of Adolescent Life in Vestmanland 2008 which included questions on sociodemographic background, neighbourhood social capital, general social trust, and ill health.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Low neighbourhood social capital and low general social trust were associated with higher rates of psychosomatic symptoms, musculoskeletal pain, and depression. Individuals with low general social trust had more than three times increased odds of being depressed, three times increased odds of having many psychosomatic symptoms, and double the odds of having many symptoms of musculoskeletal pain.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The findings make an important contribution to the social capital - health debate by demonstrating relations between social capital factors and self-reported ill health in a young population.</p

Blodtrycket: Fingervisning om ett gott samhälle?

Högt blodtryck är en viktig markör för hur det står till med oss. Det är en av de vanligaste faktorerna bakom hjärt- och kärlsjukdomar samt för tidig död och det påverkas inte bara av ålder och livsstil. Det är också känsligt för obehaglig stress. Har du svårt att få ekonomin att gå ihop? Är du ofrivilligt arbetslös? Har du en dålig och orättvis chef? Ja, då reagerar blodtrycket

Det handlar inte om missförstånd

Genmäle av Bengt Starrin. Angående krönikan ”Det får du inte skriva! – om en folkhälsorapportering” av Bengt Starrin i SMT 3, 2019

Hundra år sedan spanska sjukans härjningar

För 100 år sedan härjade den spanska sjukan som tog död på uppskattningsvis över 50 miljoner människor. En tredjedel av jordens befolkning smittades. I Sverige dog över 37 000. Sjukan började på våren 1918 och ebbade ut 1920 med bara några enstaka fall de följande åren. Det var framförallt yngre personer som drabbades. Spanska sjukan föregicks av mycket svåra tider. Första världskriget under åren 1914-1918. I Sverige hungersnöd, svält och kravaller under 1916 och 1917