Individual-level psychosocial factors and work disability prevention

Important factors to be carefully considered in work disability prevention are individual-level psychosocial factors. This chapter provides an overview of these factors and links them to theoretical models used in work disability prevention.</p

Do older manual workers benefit in vitality after retirement? Findings from a 3-year follow-up panel study:Findings from a 3-year follow-up panel study

Vitality is the feeling of physical and mental aliveness. Vitality benefits individual, organizational and societal well-being. However, we know much less about the dynamics in the levels of vitality and its’ precursors. This study investigates the effects of retirement on vitality and how this effect differs between manual and non-manual workers and by baseline levels of vitality. We used two waves of the NIDI Pension Panel Survey, collected in the Netherlands in 2015 and 2018. Data from 4156 older workers (N = 4156), of whom 1934 (46.5%) retired between waves, were analysed. Vitality is assessed in three ways, as: (1) a composite measure of vitality, and its subcomponents (2) energy and (3) fatigue. Conditional Change OLS Regression models demonstrated that retirement is associated with improved vitality and decreased fatigue. Older workers who retire from manual work at wave 1 experienced the largest gains in vitality and highest declines in fatigue at wave 2, compared to those who remained employed. Retirement was more advantageous for older workers who experienced poor vitality and high fatigue at wave 1. No such effects were found for energy. Older workers in manual work, those experiencing low vitality and high fatigue at wave 1, may benefit most from early retirement. Since opportunities for early retirement are highly restrictive, it is essential to provide these groups of workers with effective work accommodations and interventions that may not only improve their vitality and quality of working life, but also extend their participation in the labour market. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s10433-020-00590-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Self-reported or register-based? A comparison of sickness absence data among 8110 public and private employees in Denmark:A comparison of sickness absence data among 8110 public and private employees in Denmark

Objectives The study aim was to examine (i) non-response bias between responders and non-responders, and (ii) whether the association between self-reported sickness absence (SA) and register-based SA differed by gender, age, sector, or physically demanding work. Methods The responses of 8110 participants to a question on self-reported SA in the past 12 months in the Work Environment and Health in Denmark Survey (2014) was linked to 12 months of SA data from the Danish Register of Work Absence. We used logistic regression for the non-response analysis and Poisson regression to examine associations. Results Responders had on average 0.5 days less SA per year than non-responders. Public employees had a higher response rate than private employees (approximately five percentage points), women had a higher rate than men (approximately nine percentage points), and older employees a higher rate than younger employees (approximately nine percentage points in ten years). Self-reported SA correlated highly with register-based SA (Spearman's rank correlation=0.76). In general, responders with few SA days (30) over-reported their SA. Women under-reported significantly more than men (average difference one day); older employees under-reported significantly more than younger employees (difference between age groups 18-29 and 60-64 was 1.7 days). Differences between sectors or levels of physically demanding work were non-significant. Conclusions Self-reported SA data may be influenced by non-response bias, and different accuracy in different demographic groups. When available, the use of register-based SA data is recommended

Work-family trajectories in young adulthood:Associations with mental health problems in adolescence

During young adulthood, several transitions in work and family lives occur, but knowledge of the work-family trajectories of the current generation of young adults, i.e. people born in the 1990s, is lacking. Moreover, little is known about whether the mental health status before the start of the working life may shape work-family trajectories. We used 18-year follow-up data from the TRAILS cohort study of individuals born between 1989 and 1991 (n = 992; 63.2% women). Internalising and externalising problems were measured with the Youth Self-Report at ages 11, 13 and 16 years. Monthly employment, education and parenthood states were recorded between 18 and 28 years. Applying sequence analysis, we identified six work-family trajectories in women and men. The first five trajectories were labelled: long education, continuous education and work, education and work to work, early work, and inactive. The main difference between trajectories of women and men was in the timing of parenthood, thus the remaining trajectory of women was labelled active with children, and the remaining trajectory of men active. Women who experienced externalising problems in adolescence were more likely to belong to the trajectory characterised by parenthood. Men who experienced internalising problems in adolescence were more likely to belong to the trajectory characterised by a long time spent in education. The TRAILS data allowed us to consider timing, duration and ordering of the work and family states in young adulthood, and to use multiple assessments of mental health in adolescence. Further research needs to examine the mechanisms through which early mental health affects later work and family outcomes

Work-family trajectories and health:A systematic review

BACKGROUND: Work and family lives interact in complex ways across individuals’ life courses. In the past decade, many studies constructed work-family trajectories, some also examined the relation with health. The aims of this systematic review were to summarise the evidence from studies constructing work-family trajectories, and to synthesise the evidence on the association between work-family trajectories and health. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, SocINDEX and Web of Science databases. Key search terms related to work, family and trajectories. Studies that built combined work-family trajectories or examined the relationship between work and family trajectories were included. Risk of bias was assessed independently by two authors. The identified work-family trajectories were summarised and presented for men and women, age cohorts and contexts. The evidence on the association with health as antecedent or consequence was synthesised. RESULTS: Forty-eight studies, based on 29 unique data sources, were included. Thirty-two studies (67%) were published in 2015 or later, and sequence analysis was the primary analytic technique used to construct the trajectories (n = 43, 90%). Trajectories of women were found to be more diverse and complex in comparison with men. Work-family trajectories differed by age cohorts and contexts. Twenty-three studies (48%) examined the association between work-family trajectories and health and most of these studies found significant associations. The results indicate that work-family trajectories characterised by an early transition to parenthood, single parenthood, and weak ties to employment are associated with worse health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Work-family trajectories differed greatly between men and women, but differences seemed to decrease in the youngest cohorts. Given the current changes in labour markets and family formation processes, it is important to investigate the work and family lives of younger cohorts. Work-family trajectories were associated with health at different life stages. Future research should examine longitudinal associations of work-family trajectories with health and focus on elucidating why and under which circumstances some trajectories are associated with better or worse health compared with other trajectories

Identifying return-to-work trajectories using sequence analysis in a cohort of workers with work-related musculoskeletal disorders

Objectives This study aimed to identify return-to-work (RTW) trajectories among workers with work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and examine the associations between different MSD and these RTW trajectories. Methods We used administrative workers' compensation data to identify accepted MSD lost-time claims with an injury date between 2010-2012 in British Columbia, Canada. Cox regression analyses were used to investigate differences in time to RTW between MSD. Validated day-to-day calendar measures of four RTW states (sickness absence, modified RTW, RTW, and non-RTW) were grouped into RTW trajectories spanning a one-year period using sequence analysis. RTW trajectories were clustered using decision rules that identified a shared trajectory structure. Poisson regression with robust standard errors was used to estimate relative risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) between MSD and RTW trajectory clusters. Results In a cohort of 81 062 claims, 2132 unique RTW trajectories were identified and clustered into nine RTW trajectory clusters. Half of the workers sustainably returned to work within one month. Workers with back strains were most likely to have trajectories characterized by early sustained RTW, while workers with fractures or dislocations were more likely to have prolonged sickness absence trajectories (RR 4.9-9.9) or non-RTW trajectories (RR 1.4-7.6). Conclusion This is the first study that has characterized different types of RTW trajectories of workers with MSD using sequence analysis. The application of sequence analysis and the identification of RTW trajectories yielded a number of key insights not found using conventional cox regression analysis

Employees Receiving Inpatient Treatment for Common Mental Disorders in Germany:Factors Associated with Time to First and Full Return to Work

Purpose In Germany, return to work (RTW) after inpatient treatment for common mental disorders (CMDs) is a complex process at the intersection of the mental healthcare system and the workplace. This study examined (1) the time to first and full RTW and (2) associated factors among employees receiving inpatient treatment for CMDs. Methods In this prospective cohort study, employees receiving inpatient psychiatric or medical rehabilitation treatment for CMDs were interviewed by phone during their last week before discharge. Follow-up interviews were conducted after 6, 12, and 18 months. Health-, personal, and work-related factors were used from baseline measurement. Parametric survival analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with time to first and full RTW. Results A total of N = 269 participants who stayed at a psychiatric clinic or a medical rehabilitation facility were included. Almost all participants (n = 252, 94%) from both treatment settings reported a first RTW and a full RTW. The time to first and full RTW was shortest among participants from medical rehabilitation (both median 6 days) and longer among participants from psychiatric treatment (median 17 days to first RTW and 73 days to full RTW). While only health-related and personal factors were associated with time to first RTW, leadership quality and needed individual RTW support were associated with time to full RTW. Conclusions More attention to work accommodation needs for RTW in clinical practice and coordinated actions towards RTW in collaboration with key RTW stakeholders in the workplace may support a timely RTW. Clinical Registration Number DRKS00010903, retrospectively registered. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10926-021-09985-4

Understanding socioeconomic differences in metabolic syndrome remission among adults:what is the mediating role of health behaviors?

BACKGROUND: Although the incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) strongly varies based on individuals' socioeconomic position (SEP), as yet no studies have examined the SEP-MetS remission relationship. Our aim is to longitudinally assess the associations between SEP measures education, income and occupational prestige, and MetS remission, and whether these associations are mediated by health behaviors, including physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake and diet quality. METHODS: A subsample (n = 16,818) of the adult Lifelines Cohort Study with MetS at baseline was used. MetS remission was measured upon second assessment (median follow-up time 3.8 years), defined according to NCEP-ATPIII criteria. To estimate direct associations between SEP, health behaviors and MetS remission multivariable logistic regression analyses were used. To estimate the mediating percentages of health behaviors that explain the SEP-MetS remission relationship the Karlson-Holm-Breen method was used. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, the other SEP measures and follow-up time. RESULTS: At the second assessment, 42.7% of the participants experienced MetS remission. Education and income were positively associated with MetS remission, but occupational prestige was not. The association between education and MetS remission could partly (11.9%) be explained by health behaviors, but not the association between income and MetS remission. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with higher education more often experienced remission from MetS, mainly because individuals with higher education were more likely to have healthier behaviors. However, individuals with higher income more often experienced MetS remissions, regardless of their health behaviors. The occupational prestige of individuals was not associated with MetS remission

Prevalence and risk factors for anxiety and depression disorders in workers with work-related musculoskeletal strain or sprain in British Columbia, Canada:a comparison of men and women using administrative health data

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence and risk factors for medically treated anxiety and depression disorders among men and women with musculoskeletal strain or sprain work injury in British Columbia, Canada. METHODS: A retrospective population-based cohort of accepted workers' compensation lost-time claims from 2000 to 2013 was constructed using linked administrative health data. Anxiety and depression disorders were identified using diagnoses from physician, hospital and pharmaceutical records. The 1-year period prevalence was estimated for the year before and the year after injury. Sociodemographic, clinical and work-related risk factors for prevalent and new onset anxiety and depression disorders were examined using multinomial regression. RESULTS: 13.2% of men and 29.8% of women had medically treated anxiety, depression or both in the year before injury. Only a slight increase (~2%) in the prevalence of these disorders was observed in the year after injury. Somatic and mental comorbidities were both strong risk factors for pre-existing and new onset anxiety and depression for both men and women, but these relationships were stronger for men. CONCLUSION: Anxiety and depression disorders including those from prior to injury are common in workers with musculoskeletal strain or sprain and are associated with a complicated clinical profile. Gender-sensitive and sex-sensitive mental healthcare is an important consideration for work disability management