The impact of stress and lifestyle factors on short-term sickness absence in a large Danish industrial company

Objectives: Work-related stress and certain lifestyles have been associated with sickness absence among employees. We analysed relations between stress and lifestyles (as risk factors) and short-term sickness absence among employees of a large Danish industrial company. Moreover, we analysed the impact of risk factors on short-term sickness absence. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 7753 employees (67% response rate). Relations between risk factors (dyssomnia, low physical activity, alcohol, smoking, unhealthy food habits, overweight and stress) and short-term sickness absence were analysed by calculating etiologic fractions and binary logistic regression. Relations between the number of risk factors and short-term sickness absence were also analysed. Finally, the cost of short-term sickness absence from risk factors was estimated to illustrate the potential savings in avoided loss of productivity that could be gained from intervention programmes. Results: Stress, overweight, smoking and dyssomnia are significantly related to short-term sickness absence. Etiologic fractions revealed that these factors were associated with between 29.8% and 37.8% of short-term sickness absence. The number of risk factors was also related to the risk and length of sickness absence. Conclusions: This study identified risk factors that could be addressed by intervention programmes to reduce short-term sickness absence. Based on the results, focus on the risk factors that account for most short-term sickness absence and reduction of the number of risk factors could potentially reduce short-term sickness absence. A 30% reduction is equivalent to an avoidance of a loss of productivity of 4.5%, corresponding to €9.4 million per year

The impact of stress and lifestyle factors on short-term sickness absence in a large Danish industrial company

Objectives: Work-related stress and certain lifestyles have been associated with sickness absence among employees. We analysed relations between stress and lifestyles (as risk factors) and short-term sickness absence among employees of a large Danish industrial company. Moreover, we analysed the impact of risk factors on short-term sickness absence. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 7753 employees (67% response rate). Relations between risk factors (dyssomnia, low physical activity, alcohol, smoking, unhealthy food habits, overweight and stress) and short-term sickness absence were analysed by calculating etiologic fractions and binary logistic regression. Relations between the number of risk factors and short-term sickness absence were also analysed. Finally, the cost of short-term sickness absence from risk factors was estimated to illustrate the potential savings in avoided loss of productivity that could be gained from intervention programmes. Results: Stress, overweight, smoking and dyssomnia are significantly related to short-term sickness absence. Etiologic fractions revealed that these factors were associated with between 29.8% and 37.8% of short-term sickness absence. The number of risk factors was also related to the risk and length of sickness absence. Conclusions: This study identified risk factors that could be addressed by intervention programmes to reduce short-term sickness absence. Based on the results, focus on the risk factors that account for most short-term sickness absence and reduction of the number of risk factors could potentially reduce short-term sickness absence. A 30% reduction is equivalent to an avoidance of a loss of productivity of 4.5%, corresponding to €9.4 million per year

sj-docx-1-sjp-10.1177_14034948211060815 – Supplemental material for The impact of stress and lifestyle factors on short-term sickness absence in a large Danish industrial company

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-sjp-10.1177_14034948211060815 for The impact of stress and lifestyle factors on short-term sickness absence in a large Danish industrial company by Niss B.S. Nielsen, Lars Gunnarsen and Kim M. Iburg in Scandinavian Journal of Public Healt

Supplementary data for: "Hygrothermal assessment of north facing, cold attic spaces under the eaves with varying structural roof scenarios"

Research data and supplementary files for the journal publication. The research project was co-funded by the Landowners' Investment Foundation (Grundejernes Investeringsfond) (GI) and supervised by Associate Professor Søren Peter Bjarløv.Status: FinishedEffective start/end date: 01/01/2014 to 01/01/2019 Supplementary data for: Nickolaj Feldt Jensen, Søren Peter Bjarløv, Christopher Just Johnston, Hygrothermal assessment of north-facing, cold attic spaces under the eaves with varying structural roof scenarios, 2019, Journal of Building Physics, Vol 44, Issue 1, pp. 3-36, https://doi.org/10.1177/1744259119891753 The dataset contains the following elements:1) Raw data_Phase12) Raw data_Phase1_Re-arranged3) Raw data_Phase24) Raw data_Pressure measurements5) Raw data_Tracer gas experiment6) Deriving process for Equation 87) Polynomial trendlines and flow relation8) Processed data_Phase29) Summary of key results10) Supplementary graphs for research article11) VTT mould model12) Final report on the "Ventilation conditions in cold attic rooms under the eaves in structures with diffusion-open roofing underlay, Phase 2", in Danish (Skunkrum etape 2 slutrapport)13) Short report with links to publications and project folders, in Danish (Skunkrum Etape 2 - kort rapport til GI + links

Supplementary data for: "Hygrothermal assessment of north facing, cold attic spaces under the eaves with varying structural roof scenarios"

Research data and supplementary files for the journal publication. The research project was co-funded by the Landowners' Investment Foundation (Grundejernes Investeringsfond) (GI) and supervised by Associate Professor Søren Peter Bjarløv.Status: FinishedEffective start/end date: 01/01/2014 to 01/01/2019 Supplementary data for: Nickolaj Feldt Jensen, Søren Peter Bjarløv, Christopher Just Johnston, Hygrothermal assessment of north-facing, cold attic spaces under the eaves with varying structural roof scenarios, 2019, Journal of Building Physics, Vol 44, Issue 1, pp. 3-36, https://doi.org/10.1177/1744259119891753 The dataset contains the following elements:1) Raw data_Phase12) Raw data_Phase1_Re-arranged3) Raw data_Phase24) Raw data_Pressure measurements5) Raw data_Tracer gas experiment6) Deriving process for Equation 87) Polynomial trendlines and flow relation8) Processed data_Phase29) Summary of key results10) Supplementary graphs for research article11) VTT mould model12) Final report on the "Ventilation conditions in cold attic rooms under the eaves in structures with diffusion-open roofing underlay, Phase 2", in Danish (Skunkrum etape 2 slutrapport)13) Short report with links to publications and project folders, in Danish (Skunkrum Etape 2 - kort rapport til GI + links

How building design and technologies influence heat-related habits

The discrepancy between calculated heat demand and measured heat consumption – the performance gap – suggests that the energy efficiency of houses affects the energy-consuming habits of its occupants. This coincides with the theories of practice describing how materiality affects practices through reconfiguring practical understandings, e.g. comfort expectations. Heat-related habits are investigated in the paper across material contexts, e.g. building characteristics and technologies. Evidence based on a combined questionnaire survey and administrative data on occupants (n = 1216) living in single-family detached houses in Denmark shows that the practices of adjusting thermostats and the amount of clothing worn indoors as well as perceived indoor temperature correlate with building characteristics, e.g. energy efficiency of the building envelope and technical installations. These correlations are moderated by the socio-demographic characteristics of occupants. However, building characteristics are found to be less influential on the frequency of opening windows. The results indicate that occupants dress warmer and keep lower temperatures in energy-inefficient houses. This suggests that material arrangements have a significant influence on occupant expectations and practices, which lead to increased indoor temperatures and energy demand. A challenge for building regulations will be to account for how energy efficient house characteristics and technologies adversely affect occupants’ energy-consuming behaviour

Length of hospital stay after delivery among Danish women with congenital heart disease: a register-based cohort study

Abstract Background The literature about the impact of congenital heart disease (CHD) on the length of hospital stay after delivery is limited, and nonexisting in a country with free and equal access to healthcare. We aimed to examine the hypothesis that Danish women with CHD have a longer hospital stay after delivery compared to women without CHD. Secondarily, we aimed to examine the hypothesis that cesarean section modifies the association. Methods The study was a national cohort study using Danish nationwide registers in 1997–2014. Maternal CHD was categorized as simple, moderate, or complex CHD. The comparison group consisted of women without CHD. Outcome of interest was length of hospital stay after delivery registered in complete days. Mode of delivery was categorized as cesarean section or vaginal delivery. Data was analyzed using a generalized linear model with a Poisson distribution. Results We included 939,678 births among 551,119 women. Women without CHD were on average admitted to the hospital for 3.6 (SD 3.7) days, whereas women with simple, moderate, and complex CHD were admitted for 3.9 (SD 4.4), 4.0 (SD 3.8) and 5.1 (SD 6.7) days, respectively. The adjusted length of hospital stay after delivery was 12% (relative ratio (RR) = 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07–1.18), 14% (RR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07–1.21), and 45% (RR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.24–1.70) longer among women with simple, moderate, and complex CHD, respectively, compared to women without CHD. The association between maternal CHD and length of hospital stay was not modified by mode of delivery (p-value of interaction = 0.62). Women who gave birth by cesarean section were on average admitted to the hospital for 2.7 days longer compared to women with vaginal delivery. Conclusion The hospital stay after delivery was significantly longer among women with CHD as compared to women without CHD. Further, higher complexity of CHD was associated with longer length of stay. Cesarean section did not modify the association

How building design and technologies influence heat-related habits

The discrepancy between calculated heat demand and measured heat consumption – the performance gap – suggests that the energy efficiency of houses affects the energy-consuming habits of its occupants. This coincides with the theories of practice describing how materiality affects practices through reconfiguring practical understandings, e.g. comfort expectations. Heat-related habits are investigated in the paper across material contexts, e.g. building characteristics and technologies. Evidence based on a combined questionnaire survey and administrative data on occupants (n = 1216) living in single-family detached houses in Denmark shows that the practices of adjusting thermostats and the amount of clothing worn indoors as well as perceived indoor temperature correlate with building characteristics, e.g. energy efficiency of the building envelope and technical installations. These correlations are moderated by the socio-demographic characteristics of occupants. However, building characteristics are found to be less influential on the frequency of opening windows. The results indicate that occupants dress warmer and keep lower temperatures in energy-inefficient houses. This suggests that material arrangements have a significant influence on occupant expectations and practices, which lead to increased indoor temperatures and energy demand. A challenge for building regulations will be to account for how energy efficient house characteristics and technologies adversely affect occupants’ energy-consuming behaviour

Length of hospital stay after delivery among Danish women with congenital heart disease: a register-based cohort study

Abstract Background The literature about the impact of congenital heart disease (CHD) on the length of hospital stay after delivery is limited, and nonexisting in a country with free and equal access to healthcare. We aimed to examine the hypothesis that Danish women with CHD have a longer hospital stay after delivery compared to women without CHD. Secondarily, we aimed to examine the hypothesis that cesarean section modifies the association. Methods The study was a national cohort study using Danish nationwide registers in 1997–2014. Maternal CHD was categorized as simple, moderate, or complex CHD. The comparison group consisted of women without CHD. Outcome of interest was length of hospital stay after delivery registered in complete days. Mode of delivery was categorized as cesarean section or vaginal delivery. Data was analyzed using a generalized linear model with a Poisson distribution. Results We included 939,678 births among 551,119 women. Women without CHD were on average admitted to the hospital for 3.6 (SD 3.7) days, whereas women with simple, moderate, and complex CHD were admitted for 3.9 (SD 4.4), 4.0 (SD 3.8) and 5.1 (SD 6.7) days, respectively. The adjusted length of hospital stay after delivery was 12% (relative ratio (RR) = 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07–1.18), 14% (RR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07–1.21), and 45% (RR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.24–1.70) longer among women with simple, moderate, and complex CHD, respectively, compared to women without CHD. The association between maternal CHD and length of hospital stay was not modified by mode of delivery (p-value of interaction = 0.62). Women who gave birth by cesarean section were on average admitted to the hospital for 2.7 days longer compared to women with vaginal delivery. Conclusion The hospital stay after delivery was significantly longer among women with CHD as compared to women without CHD. Further, higher complexity of CHD was associated with longer length of stay. Cesarean section did not modify the association

A longitudinal study of morning, evening, and night light intensities and nocturnal sleep quality in a working population

We aimed to investigate whether higher light intensity in the morning is associated with better nocturnal sleep quality and whether higher light intensities in the evening or night have the opposite effect. Light intensity was recorded for 7 consecutive days across the year among 317 indoor and outdoor daytime workers in Denmark (55–56° N) equipped with a personal light recorder. Participants reported sleep quality after each nocturnal sleep. Sleep quality was measured using three parameters; disturbed sleep index, awakening index, and sleep onset latency. Associations between increasing light intensities and sleep quality were analyzed using mixed effects models with participant identity as a random effect. Overall, neither white nor blue light intensities during morning, evening, or night were associated with sleep quality, awakening, or sleep onset latency of the subsequent nocturnal sleep. However, secondary analyses suggested that artificial light during the morning and day contrary to solar light may increase vulnerability to evening light exposure. Altogether, we were not able to confirm that higher morning light intensity significantly improves self-reported sleep quality or that higher evening or night light intensities impair self-reported sleep quality at exposure levels encountered during daily life in a working population in Denmark. This suggests that light intensities alone are not important for sleep quality to a degree that it is distinguishable from other important parameters in daily life settings