Catelijne I. Joling

Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation (STREAM): The Design of a Four-year Longitudinal Cohort Study among 15,118 Persons Aged 45 to 64 Years

The objective of the Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation (STREAM) is to acquire knowledge on determinants of transitions in employment and work productivity among persons aged 45-64 years. Research Framework: A research framework was developed, in which transitions in employment (e.g. leaving the workforce, entering the workforce, job change) and work productivity are influenced by the following determinants: health, job characteristics, skills and knowledge, social factors, and financial factors. Central explanatory variables in the framework are the ability to work, the motivation to work, and the opportunity to work. Study Design: STREAM is a prospective cohort study among 12,055 employees, 1,029 self-employed persons, and 2,034 non-working persons, all aged 45 to 64 years at baseline. The study sample was stratified by age and employment status (employed, self-employed, non-working), and was drawn from an existing internet panel. The baseline measurement was carried out in 2010 (response: 70%), and with yearly follow-up measurements in 2011 (response: 82%), 2012 (response: 80%), and 2013. At each wave, participants fill out an online questionnaire covering all aspects of the research framework. Place and Duration of Study: The Netherlands, between October 2010 and December 2013. Methodology: Quantitative data on all aspects of the research framework were assessed with an online questionnaire, qualitative data were assessed with interview studies, and the questionnaire data can be linked to register data at Statistics Netherlands for 89% of the participants. Results: Transitions in employment between the first three waves of data among the participants are described. Conclusion: STREAM will provide insight in the determinants of healthy and productive labour participation among persons aged 45 years and older, which will support the development of interventions prolonging working life in good health, while maintaining good work productivity.

Meeting the challenges of implementing an intervention to promote work ability and health-related quality of life at construction worksites: a process evaluation.

Objective: To evaluate the process of a prevention program among construction workers. Methods: The program consisted of training sessions of a physical therapist and an empowerment trainer, and a Rest-Break Tool. Data on seven process items were collected by means of questionnaires and interviews. Results: Recruiting construction companies to participate was difficult. The therapists and trainer largely provided the training sessions as intended, but the Rest-Break Tool was poorly implemented. Construction workers (n = 171) showed high reach (84%) and moderate attendance rates (three of four sessions). Sixty-four percent of the construction workers recommended the overall program to colleagues. Company size, economic recession, engagement of the management, and intervention year influenced dose delivered and satisfaction. Conclusions: The study showed a successful reach, dose and fidelity, and moderate satisfaction. Furthermore, contextual factors played an important role during the implementation.

A worksite prevention program for construction workers: design of a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundA worksite prevention program was developed to promote the work ability of construction workers and thereby prolong a healthy working life. The objective of this paper is to present the design of a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of that intervention program compared with usual care for construction workers.MethodsThe study is designed as a randomized controlled trial with a follow-up of one year. Employees eligible for this study are construction workers performing actual construction work. The worksite intervention will be compared with usual care. This intervention was developed by using the Intervention Mapping approach and consists of the following components: (1) two individual training sessions of a physical therapist to lower the physical workload, (2) a Rest-Break tool to improve the balance between work and recovery, and (3) two empowerment training sessions to increase the influence of the construction workers at the worksite. Outcome measures are assessed at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. The primary outcome measures of this study are work ability and health-related quality of life. Secondary outcome measures include need for recovery, musculoskeletal complaints, work engagement and self efficacy. Cost-effectiveness will be evaluated from the company perspective. Moreover, a process evaluation will be conducted.DiscussionThe feasibility of the intervention and the study has been enhanced by creating an intervention program that explicitly appeals to construction workers and will not interfere too much with the ongoing construction. The feasibility and effectiveness of this worksite prevention program will be investigated by means of an effect- and a process evaluation. If proven effective, this worksite prevention program can be implemented on a larger scale within the construction industry.Trial RegistrationNTR1278

Screening Manual and Office Workers for Risk of Long-term Sickness Absence: Cut-off Points for the Work Ability Index

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the Work Ability Index (WAI) as a tool to screen for risk of different durations of long-term sickness absence (LTSA) among manual and office workers. METHODS The prospective study comprised a cohort of 3049 (1710 manual and 1339 office) workers participating in occupational health surveys between 2010-2012. The survey date was set as baseline and incident LTSA episodes of different duration (>14, >28, >42, >60, and >90 days) were retrieved from an occupational health register in the year following the survey. Baseline WAI scores were associated with LTSA episodes occurring (no/yes) during one-year follow-up by logistic regression analysis in a random sample (N=1000) of the cohort. Predictions of LTSA risk were then validated among the workers not included in the random sample. RESULTS The odds of LTSA episodes at follow-up decreased with increasing baseline WAI scores (ie, better work ability). The WAI accurately predicted the risk of future LTSA episodes >28, >42, >60 days, but over-predicted the risk of LTSA episodes >14 and >90 days. The WAI discriminated between workers at high and low risk of LTSA episodes of all durations. Office workers had higher WAI scores than manual workers. Consequently, false-negative rates were higher among office workers and false-positive rates were higher among manual workers at each WAI cut-off point. CONCLUSION The WAI could be used to screen both manual and office workers for risk of LTSA episodes lasting >28, >42, >60 days. WAI cut-off points depend on the objectives of screening and may differ for manual and office workers.

Intervention Mapping as a framework for developing an intervention at the worksite for older construction workers.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to apply the Intervention Mapping approach as a framework in the development of a worksite intervention to improve the work ability of construction workers. Design. Development of an intervention by using the Intervention Mapping approach. Setting. Construction worksite. Participants. Construction workers aged 45 years and older. Measures and Analysis. According to the principles of Intervention Mapping, evidence from the literature was combined with data collected from stakeholders (e.g., construction workers, managers, providers). Results. The Intervention Mapping approach resulted in an intervention with the following components: (1) two individual visits of a physical therapist to lower the physical workload, (2) a Rest-Break tool to improve the balance between work and recovery, and (3) two empowerment training sessions to increase the range of influence at the worksite. Conclusions. Application of Intervention Mapping in the development of a worksite prevention program was useful in the construction industry to obtain a positive attitude and commitment. Stakeholders could give input regarding the program components as well as provide specific leads for the practical intervention strategy. Moreover, it also gives insight in the current theoretical and empirical knowledge in the field of improving the work ability of older workers in the construction industry.

Shortened version of the work ability index to identify workers at risk of long-term sickness absence

BACKGROUND The Work Ability Index (WAI) identifies non-sicklisted workers at risk of future long-term sickness absence (LTSA). The WAI is a complicated instrument and inconvenient for use in large-scale surveys. We investigated whether shortened versions of the WAI identify non-sicklisted workers at risk of LTSA. METHODS Prospective study including two samples of non-sicklisted workers participating in occupational health checks between 2010 and 2012. A heterogeneous development sample (N= 2899) was used to estimate logistic regression coefficients for the complete WAI, a shortened WAI version without the list of diseases, and single-item Work Ability Score (WAS). These three instruments were calibrated for predictions of different (≥2, ≥4 and ≥6 weeks) LTSA durations in a validation sample of non-sicklisted workers (N= 3049) employed at a steel mill, differentiating between manual (N= 1710) and non-manual (N= 1339) workers. The discriminative ability was investigated by receiver operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS All three instruments under-predicted the LTSA risks in both manual and non-manual workers. The complete WAI discriminated between individuals at high and low risk of LTSA ≥2, ≥4 and ≥6 weeks in manual and non-manual workers. Risk predictions and discrimination by the shortened WAI without the list of diseases were as good as the complete WAI. The WAS showed poorer discrimination in manual and non-manual workers. CONCLUSIONS The WAI without the list of diseases is a good alternative to the complete WAI to identify non-sicklisted workers at risk of future LTSA durations ≥2, ≥4 and ≥6 weeks.