Helene Feveile

Prevalence of workplace bullying and risk groups: a representative population study.

ObjectivesTo estimate the prevalence of bullying and to identify risk groups in a representative population sample.MethodsThe data for this study was taken from the second Danish Psychosocial Work Environment Study (DPWES). The sample consisted of 3,429 employees between 20 and 59-years. The response rate for the study was 60.4%.ResultsThe study showed that 8.3% of the respondents had been bullied within the past year, 1.6% of the sample reported daily to weekly bullying. Co-workers (71.5%) and managers/supervisors (32.4%) were most often reported as perpetrators of bullying, but bullying from subordinates (6%) was also reported. We found significant differences in the prevalence of bullying for both occupational status and work process, a variable characterizing the employees main task in their job. Unskilled workers reported the highest prevalence of bullying, while managers/supervisors the lowest prevalence. People working with things (male-dominated occupations) and people working with clients/patients (female-dominated occupations) reported higher prevalence of bullying than people working with symbols or customers. No significant gender or age differences were found.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that types of work and gender ratio are risk factors in the onset of workplace bullying. Future studies should take into account the type of work and the gender ratio of the organization.

Sickness absence associated with shared and open-plan offices - a national cross sectional questionnaire survey

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine whether shared and open-plan offices are associated with more days of sickness absence than cellular offices. METHODS The analysis was based on a national survey of Danish inhabitants between 18-59 years of age (response rate 62%), and the study population consisted of the 2403 employees that reported working in offices. The different types of offices were characterized according to self-reported number of occupants in the space. The log-linear Poisson model was used to model the number of self-reported sickness absence days depending on the type of office; the analysis was adjusted for age, gender, socioeconomic status, body mass index, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, and physical activity during leisure time. RESULTS Sickness absence was significantly related to having a greater number of occupants in the office (P<0.001) when adjusting for confounders. Compared to cellular offices, occupants in 2-person offices had 50% more days of sickness absence [rate ratio (RR) 1.50, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.13-1.98], occupants in 3-6-person offices had 36% more days of sickness absence (RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.08-1.73), and occupants in open-plan offices (>6 persons) had 62% more days of sickness absence (RR 1.62, 95% CI 1.30-2.02). CONCLUSION Occupants sharing an office and occupants in open-plan offices (>6 occupants) had significantly more days of sickness absence than occupants in cellular offices.

The impact of psychosocial work environment factors on the risk of disability pension in Denmark

This study quantifies the impact of psychosocial work environment factors on the risk of disability pension. Differences in risk of disability pension were estimated in a representative sample of Danish employees followed for a total of 118 117 person-years of risk time. After control for smoking, BMI and ergonomic work environment, low decision authority and low variation in work showed a statistically significant association with disability pension. Adverse psychosocial work environment factors accounted for 10-15% of disability pension cases.

The attribution of work environment in explaining gender differences in long-term sickness absence: results from the prospective DREAM study

Objectives To identify differences in risk of long-term sickness absence between female and male employees in Denmark and to examine to what extent differences could be explained by work environment factors. Methods A cohort of 5026 employees (49.1% women, mean age 40.4 years; 50.9% men, mean age 40.2 years) was interviewed in 2000 regarding gender, age, family status, socio-economic position and psychosocial and physical work environment factors. The participants were followed for 18 months in order to assess their incidence of long-term sickness absence exceeding 8 consecutive weeks. Results 298 workers (5.9%) received sickness absence compensation for 8 weeks or more. Women had an excess risk of 37% compared to men, when adjusting for age, family status and socio-economic position. Physical work environment exposures could not explain this difference, whereas differences in psychosocial work environment exposures explained 32% of the differences in risk of long-term sickness absence between men and women, causing the effect of gender to become statistically insignificant. The combined effect of physical and psychosocial factors was similar, explaining 30% of the gender difference. Conclusion Differences in psychosocial work environments in terms of emotional demands, reward at work, management quality and role conflicts, explained roughly 30% of womens excess long-term sickness absence risk. Assuming women and men had identical working conditions would leave the larger part of the gender difference in long-term sickness absence from work unexplained.

A 15-year prospective study of shift work and disability pension

Objective: To estimate the hazard ratio for disability pension associated with shift work. Methods: Cohorts of shift and day workers were identified in three waves of the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study and followed up for incidence of disability pension in a national register of social transfer payment. A total of 3980 female and 4025 male employees were included in the cohorts. Information about shift work status, age, smoking habits, body mass index and ergonomic work environment were updated according to responses in subsequent waves of the survey when possible. Respondents reporting shift work were classified as shift workers in the following waves as well. Respondents were followed in the register from the time of first interview and were censored at the time of their 60th birthday, emigration, death or end of follow-up (18 June 2006). The authors used the Cox proportional hazards model to estimate hazard ratios for incidence of disability pension and 95% confidence intervals. Results: The authors observed 253 new disability pensions among women and 173 among men during 56 903 and 57 886 person-years at risk respectively, Among women, shift work predicted disability after adjustment for age, general health and socioeconomic status HR 1.39 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.82). After further adjustment for body mass index, smoking habits, socioeconomic status and ergonomic exposures the association remained statistically significant HR 1.34 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.75). Shift work was not associated with disability among men. Conclusion: Shift work might be moderately associated with disability pension among women; however, more powerful studies are needed to establish the possible association.

Increased incidence of infertility treatment among women working in the plastics industry

Several plastic chemicals adversely affect reproductive ability. This study examined the possible association between employment in the plastics industry and infertility. Dynamic cohorts of economically active women and men were followed for hospital contacts due to infertility in the Danish Occupational Hospitalisation Register, from 1995 to 2005. A person was considered to be at increased risk in a particular year if plastic work was the main occupation in the previous year. Analyses were standardized according to county, socio-economic group, year and age. 107 cases of treatment for female infertility were observed among female plastic workers, as opposed to an expected 87.15 cases, i.e. relative risk was 1.23 (95% CI: 1.01-1.48). For male workers the numbers were 41 respectively 49.9 cases, with relative risk being 0.82 (95% CI: 0.59-1.11). The increased incidence of infertility treatment in female plastics workers motivates more specific studies of reproductive occupational health in the plastics industry.

The impact of self-reported exposure to whole-body-vibrations on the risk of disability pension among men: a 15 year prospective study

BackgroundWhole-body-vibrations are often associated with adverse health effect but the long term effects are less known. This study investigates the association between occupational exposures to whole-body vibrations, and subsequent transition to disability pension.MethodsA total of 4215 male employees were followed up for subsequent disability pension retirement. Exposure to whole-body-vibration was self-reported while new cases of disability pension were retrieved from a national register.ResultsThe hazard ratio (HR) for disability pension retirement among men exposed to whole-body-vibrations was 1.61 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-2.40) after adjustment for age, smoking habits, BMI, physical job demands and awkward work postures. In our model, with the available explanatory variables, 5.6% of the male disability pension cases were attributable to whole-body-vibrations.ConclusionsExposure to whole-body-vibrations predicts subsequent disability pension retirement. Continued reduction of whole-body-vibrations may reduce the number of new cases of disability pension.

The impact of ergonomic work environment exposures on the risk of disability pension: Prospective results from DWECS/DREAM

The objectives were to identify the impact of ergonomic work environment exposures on the risk of disability pension. A representative sample of 8475 employees of the total working population in Denmark were interviewed regarding work environment exposures and followed in a national register with data on granted disability pension. For women, approximately 34% of the disability pension cases were attributable to ergonomic work environment exposures. For men, 21% of the disability pension cases were attributable to ergonomic work environment. Ergonomic work environment, especially physically demanding work, working with hands lifted and repetitive work, are areas of intervention at the workplace that can facilitate and prolong labour market participation. The study provides estimates for the association between ergonomic exposures at work and administrative, cost-related measures of work disability in a large population-based longitudinal cohort study over 14 years. Approximately 21% for men and 34% for women of the disability pension cases were attributable to ergonomic work environment exposures.

The impact of job satisfaction on the risk of disability pension. A 15-year prospective study

Objectives: To identify the impact of job satisfaction on the risk of disability pension. Methods: A total of 8,338 employees were sampled from the total working population in Denmark. They were interviewed regarding age, gender, job satisfaction and health behaviour. Interview data were merged with national register data on granted disability pension for up to 15 years after baseline data collection. Results: The study found a statistically significant association between low job satisfaction and disability pension for women when adjusted for age, smoking status and BMI. Conclusions: Based on the results, investing in giving workers a satisfying work environment could be a low-cost way of improving employee health and prolonging labour market participation.

Work injuries and disability

PROBLEM This study estimated the hazard ratio for disability pension retirement (DPR) for persons who have experienced a work injury causing absence lasting at least one day after the accidental injury occurred and to estimate the fraction of DPR attributable to work injuries. METHODS A total of 4,217 male and 4,105 female employees from a national survey were followed up for subsequent DPR. RESULTS AND IMPACT ON INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT Having had a work injury was a strong predictor of DPR among men. After control for age, smoking, body mass index, body postures, and physical demands, the hazard ratio (HR) among those employees who had ever experienced a work injury was 1.80 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20-2.68). No association was found among women. SUMMARY Having had a reportable work injury is a strong predictor of subsequent DPR for men.