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ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the fractions of cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders attributable to three psychosocial work factors, job strain, effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and job insecurity, in 31 countries in Europe. METHODS: The prevalence of exposure (Pe) to job strain, ERI and job insecurity was calculated using the sample of 29,680 workers from 31 countries of the 2005 European Working Conditions Survey. Relative risks (RR) were obtained from three published meta-analyses. Pe and RR estimates were used to calculate attributable fractions (AF). RESULTS: Pe estimates were 26.90, 20.44 and 14.11 % for job strain, ERI and job insecurity in Europe, and significant differences were observed between countries. The job strain and ERI AFs for cardiovascular diseases were, respectively, 4.46 % (significantly different from zero for Europe and all countries, but without any differences between countries) and 18.21 % (not significantly different from zero for Europe and without differences between countries). The significant job strain and job insecurity AFs for mental disorders were 18.16 and 4.53 % in Europe, without any significant difference between countries. The significant ERI AF for mental disorders was 14.81 %, and significant differences were found between countries; the 3 highest AFs were observed in Greece, Slovenia and Turkey, and the 3 lowest in Bulgaria, Ireland and Latvia. CONCLUSION: This study is the first one to provide fractions of cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders attributable to three psychosocial work factors for the whole Europe and to explore the differences between 31 countries. These results may be useful to guide European and national prevention policies as well as to evaluate the economic costs of diseases attributable to these exposures.
Archiv für Gewerbepathologie und Gewerbehygiene 04/2013; · 1.89 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Aims: The aim of this study was to examine educational differences in self-reported health (SRH) among men and women in Europe. Methods: The study was based on a sample of 15,362 men and 20,272 women from the nationally representative European Quality of Life Survey conducted in 31 European countries in 2007. SRH was measured using a single item and dichotomised into good (very good, good) and poor (fair, bad, very bad) health. Education was classified into seven categories according to the International Standard Classification of Education. Relative index of inequality, multilevel logistic regression analyses, and interaction tests were conducted. Results: Educational differences in SRH were found in almost all countries. After adjustment for covariates, no differences were found in Austria, Denmark, or the Netherlands. The highest differences were observed for both genders in Ireland and Macedonia. Women had significant larger educational differences in SRH than men in Portugal but significant lower differences in Czech Republic and Lithuania. Conclusions: The study underlined that the magnitude of educational differences in SRH varied according to gender and country.
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 02/2013; 41(1):51-7. · 1.39 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression are prevalent mental disorders in working populations. The risk factors of these disorders are not completely well known. Developing knowledge on occupational risk factors for mental disorders appears crucial. This study investigates the association between various classical and emergent psychosocial work factors and major depressive and generalised anxiety disorders in the French working population. METHODS: The study was based on a national random sample of 3765 men and 3944 women of the French working population (SIP 2006 survey). Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) were measured using a standardised diagnostic interview (MINI). Occupational factors included psychosocial work factors as well as biomechanical, physical, and chemical exposures. Adjustment variables included age, occupation, marital status, social support, and life events. Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Low decision latitude, overcommitment, and emotional demands were found to be risk factors for both MDD-GAD among both genders. Other risk factors were observed: high psychological demands, low reward, ethical conflict, and job insecurity, but differences were found according to gender and outcome. Significant interaction terms were observed suggesting that low decision latitude, high psychological demands, and job insecurity had stronger effects on mental disorders for men than for women. LIMITATIONS: Given the cross-sectional study design, no causal conclusion could be drawn. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed significant associations between classical and emergent psychosocial work factors and MDD-GAD. Preventive actions targeting various psychosocial work factors, including emergent factors, may help to reduce mental disorders at the workplace.
Journal of affective disorders 10/2012; · 3.76 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES: Social inequalities in health have been widely demonstrated. However, the mechanisms underlying these inequalities are not completely understood. The objective of the study was to examine the contribution of various types of occupational exposures to social inequalities in self-reported health (SRH). METHODS: The study population was based on a random sample of 3,463 men and 2,593 women of the population of employees in west central France (response rate: 85-90 %). Data were collected through a voluntary network of 110 occupational physicians in 2006-2007. Occupational factors included biomechanical, physical, chemical and psychosocial exposures. All occupational factors were collected by occupational physicians, except psychosocial work factors, which were measured using a self-administered questionnaire. Social position was measured using occupational groups. RESULTS: Strong social gradients were observed for a large number of occupational factors. Marked social gradients were also observed for SRH, manual workers and clerks/service workers being more likely to report poor health. After adjustment for occupational factors, social inequalities in SRH were substantially reduced by 76-134 % according to gender and occupational groups. The strongest impacts in reducing these inequalities were observed for biomechanical exposures and decision latitude. Differences in the contributing occupational factors were observed according to gender and occupational groups. CONCLUSION: This study showed that poor working conditions contributed to explain social inequalities in SRH. It also provided elements for developing specific preventive actions for manual workers and clerks/service workers. Prevention towards reducing all occupational exposures may be useful to improve occupational health and also to reduce social inequalities in health.
Archiv für Gewerbepathologie und Gewerbehygiene 06/2012; · 1.89 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: BackgroundIndividuals who experience work stress or heavy family demands are at elevated risk of poor mental health. Yet, the cumulative
effects of multiple work and family demands are not well known, particularly in men.
MethodsWe studied the association between multiple work and family demands and sickness absence due to non-psychotic psychiatric
disorders in a longitudinal study conducted among members of the French GAZEL cohort study (8,869 men, 2,671 women) over a
period of 9years (1995–2003). Work stress and family demands were measured by questionnaire. Medically certified psychiatric
sickness absence data were obtained directly from the employer. Rate ratios (RRs) of sickness absence were calculated using
Poisson regression models, adjusting for age, marital status, social support, stressful life events, alcohol consumption,
body mass and depressive symptoms at baseline.
ResultsParticipants simultaneously exposed to high levels of work and family demands (≥2 work stress factors and ≥4 dependents) had
significantly higher rates of sickness absence due to non-psychotic psychiatric disorders than participants with lower levels
of demands (compared to participants exposed to 0–1 work stress factors and with 1–3 dependents, age-adjusted rate ratios
were 2.37 (95% CI 1.02–5.52) in men and 6.36 (95% CI 3.38–11.94) in women. After adjusting for baseline socio-demographic,
behavioral and health characteristics, these RRs were respectively reduced to 1.82 (95% CI 0.86–3.87) in men, 5.04 (95% CI
2.84–8.90) in women. The effect of multiple work and family demands was strongest for sickness absence due to depression:
age-adjusted RRs among participants with the highest level of work and family demands were 4.70 (1.96–11.24) in men, 8.57
(4.26–17.22) in women; fully adjusted RRs: 3.55 (95% CI 1.62–7.77) in men, 6.58 (95%CI 3.46–12.50) in women.
ConclusionsMen and women simultaneously exposed to high levels of work stress and family demands are at high risk of experiencing mental
health problems, particularly depression.
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 04/2012; 42(7):573-582. · 2.70 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To examine the associations between psychosocial exposures at work and depressive symptoms by using two independent French national databases.
A job-exposure matrix of psychosocial work exposures was constructed from data collected by the national medical monitoring of occupational risks survey in 2003. Depressive symptoms came from the 2002 to 2003 decennial health survey. Data were linked by age, occupational group, and economic activity.
The crude and adjusted results showed small but significant and systematic associations between job strain and depressive symptoms among men. These associations were much weaker for psychological demands and decision latitude. No statistical associations were observed among women.
The results suggest that, among men, using independent data on exposure and health, there is a robust association between job strain and depressive symptoms. They contribute to the debate about the causal nature of associations between psychosocial exposures at work and mental health.
Journal of occupational and environmental medicine / American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 02/2012; 54(2):184-91. · 1.88 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Social inequalities in pregnancy outcomes have been extensively described but studies that explain these inequalities comprehensively are lacking. This analysis evaluated the contribution of material, psychosocial, behavioural, nutritional and obstetrical factors in explaining social inequalities in preterm delivery.
The data were based on a prospective cohort of 1109 Irish pregnant women. Preterm delivery was obtained from clinical hospital records. Socio-economic status was measured using educational level. The contribution of the above factors in explaining the association between educational level and preterm delivery was examined using Cox models.
Educational level was found to be a significant predictive factor of preterm delivery; women with low educational level were more likely to have a preterm delivery [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.14, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.04-4.38)] after adjustment for age and parity. Rented and crowded home, smoking, alcohol consumption and intake of saturated fatty acids displayed educational differences and were predictive of preterm delivery. Material factors (rented and crowded home) reduced the HR of preterm delivery for low compared with highest educated women by 33%. The additional independent contribution of behavioural factors (smoking and alcohol consumption) was 5% and of saturated fatty acids intake was 4%. All these factors combined reduced the HR of preterm delivery for low educated women by 42% (HR = 1.66, 95% CI: 0.76-3.63).
This study underlines the importance of material, behavioural and nutritional factors in explaining social inequalities in preterm delivery. These findings have cross-sectoral public policy implications.
The European Journal of Public Health 07/2011; 22(4):533-8. · 2.73 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Social inequalities in mental disorders have been described, but studies that explain these inequalities are lacking, especially those using diagnostic interviews. This study investigates the contribution of various explanatory factors to the association between educational level and major depression and generalised anxiety disorder in Irish men and women.
The study population comprised a national random sample of 5771 women and 4207 men aged 18 or more in Ireland (SLÁN 2007 survey). Major depression and generalised anxiety disorder were measured using a standardised diagnostic interview (CIDI-SF). Four groups of explanatory factors were explored: material, psychosocial, and behavioural factors, and chronic disease.
For both genders, low educational level increased the risk of both mental disorders. Material factors, especially no private health insurance, but also no car, housing tenure, insufficient food budget, and unemployment (for men), made the highest contribution (stronger for men than for women) in explaining the association between education and both mental disorders. Psychosocial (especially formal social participation, social support and marital status) and behavioural factors (smoking and physical activity for both genders, and alcohol and drug use for men) and chronic disease made low independent contributions in explaining the association between education and both mental disorders.
Given the cross-sectional study design, no causal conclusion could be drawn.
Targeting various material, psychosocial, and behavioural factors, as well as chronic diseases may help to reduce educational differences in depression and anxiety in the general population.
Journal of affective disorders 06/2011; 134(1-3):304-14. · 3.76 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to evaluate fractions of diseases attributable to job strain defined using Karasek's model among the French working population for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), mental disorders, and musculoskeletal disorders (MSD).
Job strain was defined as the combination of high psychological demands and low decision latitude. The prevalence of exposure (P (e)) was estimated using the representative national sample of 24,486 employees of the French SUMER survey. Relative risks (RR) were estimated from a literature review (1990-2008) using the same inclusion criteria for the three health outcomes. P (e) and RR estimates were used to calculate attributable fractions (AF).
P (e) estimates were 19.6% for men, 28.2% for women, and 23.2% for men and women combined. The literature review led to a selection of 13 studies for CVD, 7 studies for mental disorders, and 11 studies for MSD. RR estimates were 0.63-2.45 for CVD (morbidity and mortality), 1.2-3.3 for mental disorders, and 0.94-2.3 for MSD. AF estimates for CVD morbidity were 4.9-21.5% for men, 0-15.9% for women, and 6.5-25.2% for men and women combined, for CVD mortality 7.9-21.5% for men, 2.5% for women, and 6.5-25.2% for men and women combined, for mental disorders 10.2-31.1% for men, 5.3-33.6% for women, and 6.5% for men and women combined, and for MSD 0-19.6% for men, 0-26.8% for women, and 3.4-19.9% for men and women combined.
This study is the first one to provide fractions of diseases attributable to job strain for three health outcomes in France on the basis of a systematic review of the literature. These results could contribute to the estimation of the economic cost of diseases attributable to job strain.
Archiv für Gewerbepathologie und Gewerbehygiene 04/2011; 84(8):911-25. · 1.89 Impact Factor
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Isabelle Niedhammer,
Simone David,
Stéphanie Degioanni,
Anne Drummond,
Pierre Philip,
D Acquarone,
F Aicardi,
P André-Mazeaud,
M Arsento,
R Astier, [......],
N Tarpinian,
M Tavernier,
S Tempesta,
H Terracol,
F Torresani,
M F Triglia,
V Vandomme,
F Vieillard,
K Vilmot,
N Vital
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ABSTRACT: The association between workplace bullying and psychotropic drug use is not well established. This study was aimed at exploring the association between workplace bullying, and its characteristics, and psychotropic drug use and studying the mediating role of physical and mental health.
The study population consisted of a random sample of 3132 men and 4562 women of the working population in the south-east of France. Workplace bullying, evaluated using the validated instrument elaborated by Leymann, and psychotropic drug use, as well as covariates, were measured using a self-administered questionnaire. Covariates included age, marital status, presence of children, education, occupation, working hours, night work, physico-chemical exposures at work, self-reported health, and depressive symptoms. Statistical analysis was performed using logistic regression analysis and was carried out separately for men and women.
Workplace bullying was strongly associated with psychotropic drug use. Past exposure to bullying increased the risk for this use. The more frequent and the longer the exposure to bullying, the stronger the association with psychotropic drug use. Observing bullying on someone else at the workplace was associated with psychotropic drug use. Adjustment for covariates did not modify the results. Additional adjustment for self-reported health and depressive symptoms reduced the magnitude of the associations, especially for men.
The association between bullying and psychotropic drug use was found to be significant and strong and was partially mediated by physical and mental health.
Annals of Occupational Hygiene 03/2011; 55(2):152-63. · 1.95 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The respective contribution of occupational and behavioural factors to social disparities in all-cause mortality has been studied very seldom. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of occupational and behavioural factors in explaining social inequalities in premature and total mortality in the French working population. The study population consisted of a sample of 2,189 and 1,929 French working men and women, who responded to a self-administered questionnaire in mid-1996, and were followed up until the end of 2008. Mortality was derived from register-based information and linked to the baseline data. Socioeconomic status was measured using occupation. Occupational factors included biomechanical and physical exposures, temporary contract, psychological demands, and social support, and behavioural factors, smoking, alcohol abuse, and body mass index. Significant social differences were observed for premature and total mortality. Occupational factors reduced the hazard ratios of mortality for manual workers compared to managers/professionals by 72 and 41%, from 1.88 (95% CI: 1.17-3.01) to 1.25 (95% CI: 0.74-2.12) for premature mortality, and from 1.71 (95% CI: 1.18-2.47) to 1.42 (95% CI: 0.95-2.13) for total mortality. The biggest contributions were found for biomechanical and physical exposures, and job insecurity. The role of behavioural factors was very low. Occupational factors played a substantial role in explaining social disparities in mortality, especially for premature mortality and men. Improving working conditions amongst the lowest social groups may help to reduce social inequalities in mortality.
European Journal of Epidemiology 01/2011; 26(1):1-12. · 4.71 Impact Factor
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Isabelle Niedhammer,
Simone David,
Stephanie Degioanni,
Anne Drummond,
Pierre Philip,
D Acquarone,
F Aicardi,
P André-Mazeaud,
M Arsento,
R Astier, [......],
N Tarpinian,
M Tavernier,
S Tempesta,
H Terracol,
F Torresani,
M F Triglia,
V Vandomme,
F Vieillard,
K Vilmot,
N Vital
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ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between workplace bullying, the characteristics of workplace bullying, and sleep disturbances in a large sample of employees of the French working population.
Workplace bullying, evaluated using the validated instrument developed by Leymann, and sleep disturbances, as well as covariates, were measured using a self-administered questionnaire. Covariates included age, marital status, presence of children, education, occupation, working hours, night work, physical and chemical exposures at work, self-reported health, and depressive symptoms. Statistical analysis was performed using logistic regression analysis and was carried out separately for men and women.
General working population.
The study population consisted of a random sample of 3132 men and 4562 women of the working population in the southeast of France.
Workplace bullying was strongly associated with sleep disturbances. Past exposure to bullying also increased the risk for this outcome. The more frequent the exposure to bullying, the higher the risk of experiencing sleep disturbances. Observing someone else being bullied in the workplace was also associated with the outcome. Adjustment for covariates did not modify the results. Additional adjustment for self-reported health and depressive symptoms diminished the magnitude of the associations that remained significant.
The prevalence of workplace bullying (around 10%) was found to be high in this study as well was the impact of this major job-related stressor on sleep disturbances. Although no conclusion about causality could be drawn from this cross-sectional study, the findings suggest that the contribution of workplace bullying to the burden of sleep disturbances may be substantial.
Sleep 09/2009; 32(9):1211-9. · 5.05 Impact Factor
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Akizumi Tsutsumi,
Noboru Iwata,
Naotaka Watanabe,
Jan de Jonge,
Hynek Pikhart,
Juan Antonio Fernández-López,
Liying Xu,
Richard Peter,
Anders Knutsson, Isabelle Niedhammer,
Norito Kawakami,
Johannes Siegrist
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ABSTRACT: Our objective was to examine cross-cultural comparability of standard scales of the Effort-Reward Imbalance occupational stress scales by item response theory (IRT) analyses. Data were from 20,256 Japanese employees, 1464 Dutch nurses and nurses' aides, 2128 representative employees from post-communist countries, 963 Swedish representative employees, 421 Chinese female employees, 10,175 employees of the French national gas and electric company and 734 Spanish railroad employees, sanitary personnel and telephone operators. The IRT likelihood ratio model was used for differential item functioning (DIF) and differential test functioning (DTF) analyses. Despite the existence of DIF, most comparisons did not show discernible differences in the relations between Effort-Reward total score and level of the underlying trait across cultural groups. In the case that DTF was suspected, excluding an item with significant DIF improved the comparability. The full cross-cultural comparability of Effort-Reward Imbalance scores can be achieved with the help of IRT analysis.
International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research 02/2009; 18(1):58-67. · 2.46 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To investigate the pathways from level of education to low back pain (LBP) in the adult population, especially concerning the role of physical working constraints, and personal factors (overweight, tobacco consumption, and tallness).
The study population consisted of 15,534 subjects from the National Health Survey, with data on LBP, level of education, personal factors, and physical working constraints. Logistic models for LBP (pain more than 30 days during the previous 12 months) were compared in order to check the consistency of the data with specific causal pathways.
Low back pain was strongly associated with level of education. This association was almost completely explained if present or past exposure to tiring work postures and handling of heavy loads were taken into account. For men, the OR for "no diploma", adjusted only for age, was 1.75; it was 1.02 after additional adjustment on physical work factors. Personal factors played also a role, especially overweight for women. Among them, the OR associated with a body mass index = 27 or more was 1.58 after adjustment on all the other factors.
In this national population the main pathways from education to LBP were through occupational exposure and lifestyle factors.
Archiv für Gewerbepathologie und Gewerbehygiene 11/2008; 82(5):643-52. · 1.89 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To construct and evaluate the validity of a job-exposure matrix (JEM) for psychosocial work factors defined by Karasek's model using national representative data of the French working population.
National sample of 24,486 men and women who filled in the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) by Karasek measuring the scores of psychological demands, decision latitude, and social support (individual scores) in 2003 (response rate 96.5%). Median values of the three scores in the total sample of men and women were used to define high demands, low latitude, and low support (individual binary exposures). Job title was defined by both occupation and economic activity that were coded using detailed national classifications (PCS and NAF/NACE). Two JEM measures were calculated from the individual scores of demands, latitude and support for each job title: JEM scores (mean of the individual score) and JEM binary exposures (JEM score dichotomized at the median).
The analysis of the variance of the individual scores of demands, latitude, and support explained by occupations and economic activities, of the correlation and agreement between individual measures and JEM measures, and of the sensitivity and specificity of JEM exposures, as well as the study of the associations with self-reported health showed a low validity of JEM measures for psychological demands and social support, and a relatively higher validity for decision latitude compared with individual measures.
Job-exposure matrix measure for decision latitude might be used as a complementary exposure assessment. Further research is needed to evaluate the validity of JEM for psychosocial work factors.
Archiv für Gewerbepathologie und Gewerbehygiene 11/2008; 82(1):87-97. · 1.89 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Social inequalities in health have long been demonstrated, but the understanding of these inequalities remains unclear. Work and its related occupational factors may contribute to these inequalities. The objective of this study was to study the contribution of work factors using an integrated approach (including all types of exposures) to social inequalities in three health outcomes: poor self-reported health, long sickness absence, and work injury. Respondents were 14,241 men and 10,245 women drawn from a survey of the national French working population (response rate: 96.5%). Work factors included job characteristics, and occupational exposures of the physical, ergonomic, biological, chemical, and psychosocial work environment. All work factors were measured through expert evaluation by occupational physicians, except psychosocial work factors, which were self-reported. Strong social gradients were found for all work factors, except for psychological demands, workplace bullying, and aggression from the public. Marked social gradients were also observed for the health outcomes studied, blue collar workers being more likely to report poor self-reported health, long sickness absence, and work injury. The social differences in health were reduced strongly after adjustment for work factors (psychological demands excluded) by 24-58% according to sex and health outcomes. The strongest impacts were found for decision latitude, ergonomic, physical, and chemical exposures, as well as for work schedules. A detailed analysis allowed us to identify more precisely the contributing occupational factors. It suggests that concerted prevention of occupational risk factors would be useful not only to improve health at work, but also to reduce social inequalities in health.
Social Science [?] Medicine 11/2008; 67(11):1870-81. · 2.70 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To examine the associations between psychosocial work factors and general health outcomes, taking into account other occupational risk factors, within the national French working population.
The study was based on a large national sample of 24 486 women and men of the French working population who filled in a self-administered questionnaire in 2003 (response rate: 96.5%). Psychosocial work exposures included psychological demands, decision latitude, social support, workplace bullying and violence from the public. The three health indicators studied were self-reported health, long sickness absence (>8 days of absence) and work injury. Adjustment was made for covariates: age, occupation, work status, working hours, time schedules, physical, ergonomic, biological and chemical exposures. Men and women were studied separately.
Low levels of decision latitude, and of social support, and high psychological demands were found to be risk factors for poor self-reported health and long sickness absence. High demands were also found to be associated with work injury. Workplace bullying and/or violence from the public also increased the risk of poor health, long sickness absence and work injury.
Psychosocial work factors were found to be strong risk factors for health outcomes; the results were unchanged after adjustment for other occupational risk factors. Preventive efforts should be intensified towards reducing these psychosocial work exposures.
Occupational Medicine 01/2008; 58(1):15-24. · 1.14 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Questionnaires for assessment of biomechanical exposure are frequently used in surveillance programs, though few studies have evaluated which key questions are needed. We sought to reduce the number of variables on a surveillance questionnaire by identifying which variables best summarized biomechanical exposure in a survey of the French working population.
We used data from 2002 to 2003 French experimental network of Upper-limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders (UWMSD), performed on 2,685 subjects in which 37 variables assessing biomechanical exposures were available (divided into four ordinal categories, according to the task frequency or duration). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with orthogonal rotation was performed on these variables. Variables closely associated with factors issued from PCA were retained, except those highly correlated to another variable (rho > 0.70). In order to study the relevance of the final list of variables, correlations between a score based on retained variables (PCA score) and the exposure score suggested by the SALTSA group were calculated. The associations between the PCA score and the prevalence of UWMSD were also studied. In a final step, we added back to the list a few variables not retained by PCA, because of their established recognition as risk factors.
According to the results of the PCA, seven interpretable factors were identified: posture exposures, repetitiveness, handling of heavy loads, distal biomechanical exposures, computer use, forklift operator specific task, and recovery time. About 20 variables strongly correlated with the factors obtained from PCA were retained. The PCA score was strongly correlated both with the SALTSA score and with UWMSD prevalence (P < 0.0001). In the final step, six variables were reintegrated.
Twenty-six variables of 37 were efficiently selected according to their ability to summarize major biomechanical constraints in a working population, with an approach combining statistical analyses and existing knowledge.
Archiv für Gewerbepathologie und Gewerbehygiene 10/2007; 81(1):1-8. · 1.89 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Individuals who experience work stress or heavy family demands are at elevated risk of poor mental health. Yet, the cumulative effects of multiple work and family demands are not well known, particularly in men.
We studied the association between multiple work and family demands and sickness absence due to non-psychotic psychiatric disorders in a longitudinal study conducted among members of the French GAZEL cohort study (8,869 men, 2,671 women) over a period of 9 years (1995-2003). Work stress and family demands were measured by questionnaire. Medically certified psychiatric sickness absence data were obtained directly from the employer. Rate ratios (RRs) of sickness absence were calculated using Poisson regression models, adjusting for age, marital status, social support, stressful life events, alcohol consumption, body mass and depressive symptoms at baseline.
Participants simultaneously exposed to high levels of work and family demands (> or =2 work stress factors and > or =4 dependents) had significantly higher rates of sickness absence due to non-psychotic psychiatric disorders than participants with lower levels of demands (compared to participants exposed to 0-1 work stress factors and with 1-3 dependents, age-adjusted rate ratios were 2.37 (95% CI 1.02-5.52) in men and 6.36 (95% CI 3.38-11.94) in women. After adjusting for baseline socio-demographic, behavioral and health characteristics, these RRs were respectively reduced to 1.82 (95% CI 0.86-3.87) in men, 5.04 (95% CI 2.84-8.90) in women. The effect of multiple work and family demands was strongest for sickness absence due to depression: age-adjusted RRs among participants with the highest level of work and family demands were 4.70 (1.96-11.24) in men, 8.57 (4.26-17.22) in women; fully adjusted RRs: 3.55 (95% CI 1.62-7.77) in men, 6.58 (95%CI 3.46-12.50) in women.
Men and women simultaneously exposed to high levels of work stress and family demands are at high risk of experiencing mental health problems, particularly depression.
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 07/2007; 42(7):573-82. · 2.70 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To evaluate the prevalence of workplace bullying in the general working population in France, and explore this prevalence across economic activities and occupations.
The studied population consisted of a sample of 3,132 men and 4,562 women of the general working population in the southeast of France. A self-administered anonymous questionnaire included the 45-item inventory of workplace bullying elaborated by Leymann, frequency and duration of bullying, and self-report of being exposed to bullying. Cases of bullying were defined using both Leymann's definition (exposure to at least one form of bullying within the previous 12 months, weekly or more, and for at least 6 months) and self-report of bullying.
The 12 month prevalence of workplace bullying was 9% for men and 11% for women. The point prevalence was 7.5% on the day of the survey for men and women, and varied from 3 to 18% according to economic activities and occupations among men. High-risk groups for bullying included activities of services for men, and various categories of associate professionals, and of low levels of white and blue collar workers for men, and government associate professionals for women.
This first study on workplace bullying in France showed that around 10% of the population studied, and more women than men, had been exposed to bullying within the last 12 months. This study also found that some economic activities and occupations would be at elevated risk for bullying, pointing out the need to better understand and prevent bullying in these high-risk groups.
Archiv für Gewerbepathologie und Gewerbehygiene 03/2007; 80(4):346-53. · 1.89 Impact Factor
