Bongkyoo Choi
Research interests
-
InterestsHealth Promotion, Prevention, Preventive Medicine, Community Health
Publications
-
Exploring Occupational and Behavioral Risk Factors for Obesity in Firefighters: A Theoretical Framework and Study Design
Safety and Health at Work. 12/2012; 2:301-312.
Firefighters and police officers have the third highest prevalence of obesity among 41 male occupational groups in the United States (US). However, few studies have examined the relationship of firefighter working conditions and health behaviors with obesity. This paper presents a theoretical framew... [more] Firefighters and police officers have the third highest prevalence of obesity among 41 male occupational groups in the United States (US). However, few studies have examined the relationship of firefighter working conditions and health behaviors with obesity. This paper presents a theoretical framework describing the relationship between working conditions, health behaviors, and obesity in firefighters. In addition, the paper describes a detailed study plan for exploring the role of occupational and behavioral risk factors in the development of obesity in firefighters enrolled in the Orange County Fire Authority Wellness Fitness Program. The study plan will be described with emphasis on its methodological merits: adopting a participatory action research approach, developing a firefighter-specific work and health questionnaire, conducting both a cross-sectional epidemiological study using the questionnaire and a sub-study to assess the validity of the questionnaire with dietary intake and physical activity measures, and evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the body mass index as an obesity measure in comparison to skinfold-based percent body fat. The study plan based on a theoretical framework can be an essential first step for establishing effective intervention programs for obesity among professional and voluntary firefighters.
-
2.25Impact points
Major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder in Korean subway drivers.
International archives of occupational and environmental health. 05/2012;
PURPOSE: The purposes of this study are to investigate the prevalence of major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Korean subway drivers, and find the association between these disorders and the drivers' person-under-train (PUT) experiences. METHODS:... [more] PURPOSE: The purposes of this study are to investigate the prevalence of major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Korean subway drivers, and find the association between these disorders and the drivers' person-under-train (PUT) experiences. METHODS: A total of 826 subway drivers who participated in a cross-sectional work and health survey were included for this study. The Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 2.1 was applied to assess major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and PTSD. The date of PUT, whether victim died, and how many PUTs the drivers experienced were asked using a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: The standardized prevalence ratios (SPRs) for lifetime prevalence of panic disorder and PTSD in subway drivers were 13.3 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 6.6-22.4) and 2.1 (95 % CI 1.1-3.4), respectively. In lifetime prevalence, after adjusting for age, education, income, and working career, the drivers who experienced PUT had significantly higher risks for panic disorder (odds ratio [OR] = 4.2, 95 % CI 1.2-16.6) and PTSD (OR = 4.4, 95 % CI 1.3-16.4). In 1-year prevalence, the drivers who experienced PUT had a significantly higher risk for PTSD (OR = 11.7, 95 % CI 1.9-225.8). There was no significant value of SPR and OR in major depressive disorder. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that Korean subway drivers are at higher risk for panic disorder and PTSD compared to the general population, and PUT experience is associated with panic disorder and PTSD. Drivers who have experienced PUT should be treated quickly, sympathetically, and sensitively by a psychological professional and their colleagues, so they can return to work soon.
-
2.25Impact points
Can high psychological job demands, low decision latitude, and high job strain predict disability pensions? A 12-year follow-up of middle-aged Swedish workers.
International archives of occupational and environmental health. 04/2012;
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate whether job strain, psychological demands, and decision latitude are independent determinants of disability pension rates over a 12-year follow-up period. METHODS: We studied 3,181 men and 3,359 women, all middle-aged and working at least 30 h per... [more] OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate whether job strain, psychological demands, and decision latitude are independent determinants of disability pension rates over a 12-year follow-up period. METHODS: We studied 3,181 men and 3,359 women, all middle-aged and working at least 30 h per week, recruited from the general population of Malmö, Sweden, in 1992. The participation rate was 41 %. Baseline data include sociodemographics, the Job Content Questionnaire, lifestyle, and health-related variables. Disability pension information was obtained through record linkage from the National Health Insurance Register. RESULTS: Nearly 20 % of the women and 15 % of the men were granted a disability pension during the follow-up period. The highest quartile of psychological job demands and the lowest quartile of decision latitude were associated with disability pensions when controlling for age, socioeconomic position, and health risk behaviours. In the final model, with adjustment also for health indicators and stress from outside the workplace, the hazard ratios for high strain jobs (i.e. high psychological demands in combination with low decision latitude) were 1.5 in men (95 % CI, 1.04-2.0) and 1.7 in women (95 % CI, 1.3-2.2). Stratifying for health at baseline showed that high strain tended to affect healthy but not unhealthy men, while this pattern was reversed in women. CONCLUSIONS: High psychological demands, low decision latitude, and job strain were all confirmed as independent risk factors for subsequent disability pensions. In order to increase chances of individuals remaining in the work force, interventions against these adverse psychosocial factors appear worthwhile.
-
1.42Impact points
Occupation-differential construct validity of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) psychological job demands scale with physical job demands items: a mixed methods research.
Ergonomics. 04/2012; 55(4):425-39.
The construct validity of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) psychological demands scale in relationship to physical demands has been inconsistent. This study aims to test quantitatively and qualitatively whether the scale validity differs by occupation. Hierarchical clustering analyses of 10 JCQ p... [more] The construct validity of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) psychological demands scale in relationship to physical demands has been inconsistent. This study aims to test quantitatively and qualitatively whether the scale validity differs by occupation. Hierarchical clustering analyses of 10 JCQ psychological and physical demands items were conducted in 61 occupations from two datasets: one of non-faculty workers at a university in the United States (6 occupations with 208 total workers) and the other of a Belgian working population (55 occupations with 13,039 total workers). The psychological and physical demands items overlapped in 13 of 61 occupation-stratified clustering analyses. Most of the overlaps occurred in physically-demanding occupations and involved the two psychological demands items, 'work fast' and 'work hard'. Generally, the scale reliability was low in such occupations. Additionally, interviews with eight university workers revealed that workers interpreted the two psychological demands items differently by the nature of their tasks. The scale validity was occupation-differential. Practitioner Summary: The JCQ psychological job demands scale as a job demand measure has been used worldwide in many studies. This study indicates that the wordings of the 'work fast' and 'work hard' items of the scale need to be reworded enough to differentiate mental and physical job demands as intended, 'psychological.'
-
1.22Impact points
Disparities of Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence by Age, Gender and Occupation among Korean Adult Workers.
Industrial health. 02/2012;
Occupation can influence the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Age and gender could interact with the association between occupation and metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among the Korean working population and determine whether the prevalence d... [more] Occupation can influence the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Age and gender could interact with the association between occupation and metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among the Korean working population and determine whether the prevalence differed according to occupation, age and gender. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Korean adults using the Third Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III). The analysis included 3,288 workers over 19 yr old. The prevalence odds ratios (PORs) of metabolic syndrome among representative types of occupations were estimated after stratification for age and gender by logistic regression. Female manual workers had a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome than female non-manual workers among those younger than age 50 (POR=1.95, 95% CI=1.12-3.40). However, female manual workers aged 50 and older had a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome than female non-manual workers (POR=0.36, 95%CI=0.22-0.59). Manual occupations can be a risk factor for metabolic syndrome, but this correlation is limited to younger female workers. The effects of occupation on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome were different between older and younger workers, which could be due to longitudinal transition of socio-cultural structure.
-
2.25Impact points
Blood cadmium and moderate-to-severe glomerular dysfunction in Korean adults: analysis of KNHANES 2005-2008 data.
International archives of occupational and environmental health. 01/2012;
PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between blood cadmium (Cd) and moderate-to-severe glomerular dysfunction in a Korean population using a representative sample. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was used to evaluate the association between blood Cd and glomerular dy... [more] PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between blood cadmium (Cd) and moderate-to-severe glomerular dysfunction in a Korean population using a representative sample. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was used to evaluate the association between blood Cd and glomerular dysfunction. Based on the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2008), individual blood Cd was measured in 2,992 adults, aged between 20 and 65. RESULTS: After adjusting for survey years, age, sociodemographic factors, and health behaviors, the odds ratio for moderate-to-severe glomerular dysfunction (<60 mL/min per 1.73 m(2)) was 1.97 (95% CI: 1.28-3.07) when comparing the highest with the lowest blood Cd quartile in Korean women. However, in Korean men, there was no association between blood Cd and moderate-to-severe glomerular dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the consideration of Cd as a risk factor for glomerular dysfunction in the female population. Furthermore, environmental heavy metal monitoring and an institutional strategy should be implemented to reduce Cd exposure in the general population.
-
2.31Impact points
Psychosocial working conditions and exhaustion in a working population sample of Swedish middle-aged men and women.
European journal of public health. 04/2011; 21(2):190-6.
Exhaustion is a concept of interest for both occupational health research and stress-disease theory research. The aim of the present study was to explore associations between chronic stressors, in terms of psychosocial working conditions, and exhaustion in a Swedish middle-aged population sample. A ... [more] Exhaustion is a concept of interest for both occupational health research and stress-disease theory research. The aim of the present study was to explore associations between chronic stressors, in terms of psychosocial working conditions, and exhaustion in a Swedish middle-aged population sample. A vocationally active population sample of the Malmö Shoulder and Neck Study cohort, comprising 2555 men and 2466 women between 45 and 64 years of age, was used. Psychosocial working conditions, assessed by means of the demand-control-support model, were measured longitudinally with a 1-year interval. Exhaustion was assessed by the SF-36 vitality scale and measured at follow-up, yielding a cross-sectional study design. Exhaustion was twice as common in women as in men. High psychological job demands, low job control and low job support were independently associated with exhaustion in both men and women. These associations remained after controlling for a variety of potential confounders and mediators, including socio-demographic factors, lifestyle factors, musculoskeletal pain, disease, other work-related factors (including physical workload) and non-work-related factors. High demands in combination with low control (job strain), and job strain combined with low job support (iso-strain), increased the risk for exhaustion. Psychosocial working conditions seem to contribute to exhaustion in middle-aged men and women. Future research should include exploration of exhaustion as a possible mediator between work stress and disease, as well as exploration of other chronic stressors, including non-work-related stressors, regarding their effects on exhaustion in men and women.
-
2.25Impact points
Synergistic interaction effect between job control and social support at work on general psychological distress.
International archives of occupational and environmental health. 01/2011; 84(1):77-89.
Little is known about the interaction between job control and social support at work on common mental disorders. To examine whether there is a synergistic interaction effect between job control and social support at work on general psychological distress and whether it differs by the level of job de... [more] Little is known about the interaction between job control and social support at work on common mental disorders. To examine whether there is a synergistic interaction effect between job control and social support at work on general psychological distress and whether it differs by the level of job demands. About 1,940 male and female workers from the Malmö Shoulder and Neck Study were chosen for this cross-sectional study. Job control, social support at work, and job demands were measured by the Swedish version of the Job Content Questionnaire, and general psychological distress was assessed by the General Health Questionnaire. A significant excessive risk increase for general psychological distress was observed when workers had both low job control and low social support at work in both men and women. The synergistic effect was stronger in women, when job demands were low (Rothman's synergy index was 2.16 vs. 1.51 when job demands were high). However, in male workers, while a strong synergistic effect between job control and social support at work was found when job demands were low (synergy index was 9.25), there was an antagonistic effect when job demands were high (synergy index was 0.52). There was a synergistic interaction effect between job control and social support at work on general psychological distress, but the synergistic effect or its effect size differed by the level of job demands and gender. An atomic, additive approach to the risk assessment of the psychosocial work characteristics on common mental disorders could be misleading or lead to a risk underestimation.
-
1.72Impact points
Sedentary work, low physical job demand, and obesity in US workers.
American journal of industrial medicine. 11/2010; 53(11):1088-101.
Little is known about the role of low physical activity at work (sedentary work or low physical job demand) in the increasing prevalence of obesity of US workers. This cross-sectional and secondary data analysis included 1,001 male and 1,018 female workers (age range: 32-69) from the National Survey... [more] Little is known about the role of low physical activity at work (sedentary work or low physical job demand) in the increasing prevalence of obesity of US workers. This cross-sectional and secondary data analysis included 1,001 male and 1,018 female workers (age range: 32-69) from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) II study (2004-2006). Sedentary work and physical job demand were measured by questionnaire items. Total obesity (based on body mass index) and central obesity (based on waist circumference) were defined using WHO criteria. After controlling for covariates (socio-demographic, psychosocial working conditions, health status, and health behaviors), sedentary work, low physical job demand, or their combination increased the risk for total and central obesity in male workers, particularly when they worked longer than 40 hr per week. Sedentary work marginally increased the risk for total and central obesity in female workers. Low physical activity at work is a significant risk factor for total and central obesity in middle-aged US male workers.
-
Psychosocial working conditions and active leisure-time physical activity in middle-aged us workers.
International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health. 10/2010; 23(3):239-53.
This study was to examine whether psychosocial work characteristics such as job control, psychological job demands, and their combinations are associated with leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in US workers. 2019 workers (age range: 32 to 69) from the National Survey of Midlife Development in th... [more] This study was to examine whether psychosocial work characteristics such as job control, psychological job demands, and their combinations are associated with leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in US workers. 2019 workers (age range: 32 to 69) from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) II study (2004-2006) were chosen for this cross-sectional study. Job control and job demands were measured by standard questionnaire items. Active LTPA was defined as "moderate or vigorous" level of physical activity. After controlling for covariates (e.g., age, race, education, income, physical effort at work, obesity, and alcohol consumption), high job control was associated with active LTPA. Active jobs (high control and low demands) and low-strain jobs (high control and high demands), compared to passive jobs (low control and low demands), increased the odds for active LTPA. The associations varied by sex and education level. Job demands alone were not associated with active LTPA. Having on-the-job learning opportunities and decision authority on their tasks may be conducive to active LTPA in middle-aged US workers.
-
2.71Impact points
Conflict between the work and family domains and exhaustion among vocationally active men and women.
Social science & medicine (1982). 02/2010; 70(8):1237-45.
Exhaustion is consistently found to be more prevalent in women than in men. Women suffer from job strain more often, which may constitute a partial explanation for this phenomenon, but experienced shortcomings in combining work and family demands may also contribute to ill health. The aim of this st... [more] Exhaustion is consistently found to be more prevalent in women than in men. Women suffer from job strain more often, which may constitute a partial explanation for this phenomenon, but experienced shortcomings in combining work and family demands may also contribute to ill health. The aim of this study was to investigate, and analyse by gender, how work-related and family-related factors, as well as the interface between them, i.e. work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC), are related to exhaustion. The study was cross-sectional with self-administered questionnaires assessing exposures and outcome with previously well-validated instruments. The participants were 2726 men and 2735 women, aged 45-64, vocationally active, and residing in Malmö, Sweden. Sixteen percent of the women and 8% of the men considered themselves exhausted. WFC, FWC, job strain, and low job support were all strongly correlated to exhaustion in both genders. In the multivariate analyses, adjusting for other work and family risk factors, WFC and FWC remained statistically significant risk factors for exhaustion in both men and women. Job strain, low job support, and having a somatic disorder were also independently associated with exhaustion. While WFC was more prevalent among men, it was more strongly associated with exhaustion in women than in men. In women, WFC and FWC contributed to a larger part of the explanatory power of the model, which amounted to 22% of the variance in women and 14% in men. The results imply that the concept of 'work stress' should be regarded in a wider context in order to understand gender related issues of exhaustion among vocationally active individuals.
-
0.90Impact points
Cross-language differential item functioning of the job content questionnaire among European countries: the JACE study.
International journal of behavioral medicine. 02/2009; 16(2):136-47.
BACKGROUND: Little is known about cross-language measurement equivalence of the job content questionnaire (JCQ) PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to assess the extent of cross-language differential item functioning (DIF) of the 27 JCQ items in six languages (French, Dutch, Belgian-French, Bel... [more] BACKGROUND: Little is known about cross-language measurement equivalence of the job content questionnaire (JCQ) PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to assess the extent of cross-language differential item functioning (DIF) of the 27 JCQ items in six languages (French, Dutch, Belgian-French, Belgian-Dutch (Flemish), Italian, and Swedish) from six European research centers and to test whether its effects on the scale-level mean comparisons among the centers were substantial or not. METHOD: A partial gamma coefficient method was used for statistical DIF analyses where the Flemish JCQ was the reference for other language versions. Additionally, equivalence between the Flemish and Dutch translations was subjected to a judgmental review. RESULTS: On average, 36% to 39% of the total tested items appeared to be cross-language DIF items in the statistical analyses. The judgmental review indicated that half of the DIF items may be associated with translation difference. The impacts of the DIF items on the mean comparisons of the JCQ scales between the centers were non-trivial: underestimated skill discretion (Milan), underestimated decision authority (Leiden), underestimated psychological demands (Milan women), and incomparable coworker support (Gothenburg 95). CONCLUSION: Cross-language DIF of the JCQ among European countries should be considered in international comparative studies on psychosocial job hazards using JCQ scales.
-
0.90Impact points
Sleeping problems as a risk factor for subsequent musculoskeletal pain and the role of job strain: results from a one-year follow-up of the Malmö Shoulder Neck Study Cohort.
International journal of behavioral medicine. 02/2008; 15(4):254-62.
BACKGROUND: The role of sleeping problems in the causal pathway between job strain and musculoskeletal pain is not clear. Purpose: To investigate the impact of sleeping problems and job strain on the one-year risk for neck, shoulder, and lumbar pain. METHOD: A prospective study, using self-administe... [more] BACKGROUND: The role of sleeping problems in the causal pathway between job strain and musculoskeletal pain is not clear. Purpose: To investigate the impact of sleeping problems and job strain on the one-year risk for neck, shoulder, and lumbar pain. METHOD: A prospective study, using self-administered questionnaires, of a healthy cohort of 4,140 vocationally active persons ages 45-64, residing in the city of Malmo. RESULTS: At follow-up, 11.8% of the men and 14.8% of the women had developed pain. The odds ratios (OR) for pain at follow-up and sleeping problems at baseline were 1.72 (95% CI: 1.13-2.61) in men and 1.91 (1.35-2.70) in women. Regarding exposure to job strain, ORs were 1.39 (0.94-2.05) for men and 1.63 (1.18-2.23) for women. These statistically significant risks remained so when controlled for possible confounding. A modest synergistic effect was noted in women with concurrent sleeping problems and job strain, but not in men. CONCLUSION: One in 15-20 of all new cases of chronic pain in the population could be attributed to sleeping problems. No evidence was found for a causal chain with job strain leading to musculoskeletal pain by the pathway of sleeping problems.
-
0.90Impact points
A cross-national study on the multidimensional characteristics of the five-item psychological demands scale of the Job Content Questionnaire.
International journal of behavioral medicine. 02/2008; 15(2):120-32.
BACKGROUND: The five-item psychological demands scale of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) has been assumed to be one-dimensional in practice. PURPOSE: To examine whether the scale has sufficient internal consistency and external validity to be treated as a single scale, using the cross-national J... [more] BACKGROUND: The five-item psychological demands scale of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) has been assumed to be one-dimensional in practice. PURPOSE: To examine whether the scale has sufficient internal consistency and external validity to be treated as a single scale, using the cross-national JCQ datasets from the United States, Korea, and Japan. METHOD: Exploratory factor analyses with 22 JCQ items, confirmatory factor analyses with the five psychological demands items, and correlations analyses with mental health indexes. RESULTS: Generally, exploratory factor analyses displayed the predicted demand/control/support structure with three and four factors extracted. However, at more detailed levels of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, the demands scale showed clear evidence of multi-factor structure. The correlations of items and subscales of the demands scale with mental health indexes were similar to those of the full scale in the Korean and Japanese datasets, but not in the U.S. data. In 4 out of 16 sub-samples of the U.S. data, several significant correlations of the components of the demands scale with job dissatisfaction and life dissatisfaction were obscured by the full scale. CONCLUSION: The multidimensionality of the psychological demands scale should be considered in psychometric analysis and interpretation, occupational epidemiologic studies, and future scale extension.
-
Socioeconomic status, job strain and common mental disorders—an ecological (occupational) approach
SJWEH Supplements. 01/2008;
OBJECTIVES: This study attempted to determine whether an ecological association exists between job strain and common mental disorders at the occupational level and whether the association is a confounding effect of socioeconomic status. METHODS: Male occupations from Belgium (N=184) and the United S... [more] OBJECTIVES: This study attempted to determine whether an ecological association exists between job strain and common mental disorders at the occupational level and whether the association is a confounding effect of socioeconomic status. METHODS: Male occupations from Belgium (N=184) and the United States (US) (N=120) were chosen from the BELSTRESS study (Belgian job-stress study) (1994–1998) and quality of employment surveys (1972–1977), respectively. Age, marital status, socioeconomic indicators, job control (skill discretion and decision authority), psychological demands, supervisory and coworker supports, physical demands, job insecurity, and symptom scales for mental disorders were all aggregated at the occupational level (detailed occupational codes). Job strain was defined as a ratio of psychological demands to job control. Simple correlations, graphic investigations, and multivariate regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: While job strain was significantly correlated with socioeconomic indicators in the US sample, their covariance was less than 30% in both samples. In the graphic investigations, job strain was orthogonal to all of the socioeconomic indicators. Job strain (both samples), job control (US sample), skill discretion (Belgian sample), and psychological demands (Belgian sample) were associated with mental disorders, after control for the covariates (including socioeconomic indicators). The association of decision authority with mental disorders was relatively weak in both samples. Generally, the associations were stronger in the low or middle socioeconomic group than in the high socioeconomic group. CONCLUSIONS: Job strain is associated with common mental disorders at the occupational level, and it is not explained fully in the context of the association between socioeconomic status and mental disorders.
-
Social class, job insecurity and job strain in Korea
SJWEH Supplements. 01/2008;
OBJECTIVES: This study explored the associations between social class, job insecurity, and job strain among Korean workers. METHODS: Data on 6143 participants (253 health care workers, 5113 subway workers, and 777 petrochemical refinery workers) from three Korean job-stress studies were used. Job st... [more] OBJECTIVES: This study explored the associations between social class, job insecurity, and job strain among Korean workers. METHODS: Data on 6143 participants (253 health care workers, 5113 subway workers, and 777 petrochemical refinery workers) from three Korean job-stress studies were used. Job strain and job insecurity were measured with the job content questionnaire. Job strain was defined as a continuous variable according to the demand-to-control ratio and as a binary variable as the highest quartile of this ratio. Social class was defined by indicators of socioeconomic status. The combined effects of job insecurity and socioeconomic status were examined with generalized linear models and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Job insecurity was relatively higher than in other countries (scale mean 5.8). Higher job insecurity was associated with lower social class, and it appeared to partially mediate the effect of socioeconomic status on job strain. Job insecurity and low social class independently elevated job strain. Job strain was the highest among those with a low social class and job insecurity for each socioeconomic indicator. According to the logistic regression models, the odds ratio for high strain was 2.0 (P<0.05) for low job security and low education, 2.4 (P<0.05) for low job security and low income, and 2.4 (P<0.05) for low job security and low occupational class, when compared with the baseline values. CONCLUSIONS: Low social class is associated with higher job strain. Job insecurity is higher among persons in a lower social class, the highest job strain occurring among workers with both factors. Job insecurity appears to intensify the overall effect of social class on job strain.
-
0.90Impact points
Testing two methods to create comparable scale scores between the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and JCQ-like questionnaires in the European JACE Study.
International journal of behavioral medicine. 02/2007; 14(4):189-201.
BACKGROUND: Scale comparative properties of "JCQ-like" questionnaires with respect to the JCQ have been little known. PURPOSE: Assessing validity and reliability of two methods for generating comparable scale scores between the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and JCQ-like questionnaires in... [more] BACKGROUND: Scale comparative properties of "JCQ-like" questionnaires with respect to the JCQ have been little known. PURPOSE: Assessing validity and reliability of two methods for generating comparable scale scores between the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and JCQ-like questionnaires in sub-populations of the large Job Stress, Absenteeism and Coronary Heart Disease European Cooperative (JACE) study: the Swedish version of Demand-Control Questionnaire (DCQ) and a transformed Multinational Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease Project (MONICA) questionnaire. METHOD: A random population sample of all Malmo males and females aged 52-58 (n = 682) years was given a new test questionnaire with both instruments (the JCQ and the DCQ). Comparability-facilitating algorithms were created (Method I). For the transformed Milan MONICA questionnaire, a simple weighting system was used (Method II). RESULTS: The converted scale scores from the JCQ-like questionnaires were found to be reliable and highly correlated to those of the original JCQ. However, agreements for the high job strain group between the JCQ and the DCQ, and between the JCQ and the DCQ (Method I applied) were only moderate (Kappa). Use of a multiple level job strain scale generated higher levels of job strain agreement, as did a new job strain definition that excludes the intermediate levels of the job strain distribution. CONCLUSION: The two methods were valid and generally reliable.
Following (2)
-
Norito Kawakami
The University of Tokyo -
Laura Punnett
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Topics (7)
