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BACKGROUND: As guardians of the public interest, auditors represent a unique occupational group. The group that has shown to experience high level of stress and overload is often being associated with environmentally imposed responsibility as well as organizationally imposed performance demands. It is the latter aspects, represented by the concept of organizational culture, that is being highlighted in this paper and its relationship to auditor's well-being OBJECTIVES: The paper aims to explore organizational culture as an antecedent of auditors' well-being, which is assumed to have important consequences for the quality of auditors' work. METHODS: This study is based on a survey of 207 Swedish auditors. Using established and validated instruments measuring aspects of organizational culture and personal well-being, the study employed correlations and multiple regression analysis in testing the relationship between the two. RESULTS: The results of the study suggest that an increasing degree of collectivistic organizational culture has a positive relationship with three aspects of well-being: Job satisfaction, life balance and life satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first attempt to explore well-being of auditors and its antecedents represented by organizational culture. Contrary to the expectation that auditors take an individualistic approach to their work, this study establishes that auditors feel best in a work environment characterized by a collectivist organizational culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning from incidents is important for improving safety. Many companies spend a great deal of time and money on such learning procedures. The objectives of this paper are to present some early results from a project aimed at revealing weaknesses in the procedures for learning from incidents and to discuss improvements in these procedures, especially in chemical process industries. The empirical base comes from a project assessing organizational learning and the effectiveness of the different steps of the learning cycle for safety and studying relations between safety-specific transformational leadership, safety climate, trust, safety-related behavior and learning from incidents. The results point at common weaknesses in the organizational learning, both in the horizontal learning (geographical spread) and in vertical learning (double-loop learning). Furthermore, the effectiveness in the different steps of the learning cycle is low due to insufficient information in incident reports, very shallow analyses of reports, decisions that focus at solving the problem only at the place where the incident took place, late implementations and weak solutions. Strong correlations with learning from incidents were found for all safety climate variables as well as for safety-related behaviors and trust. The relationships were very strong for trust, safety knowledge, safety participation and safety compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Common mental disorders (CMDs) are currently a major cause of long-term sick leave, with women being most affected. OBJECTIVE: Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), we aimed to describe the development and psychometric evaluation of a new questionnaire to measure women's beliefs about return to work (RTW) after long-term sick leave for CMDs. METHODS: Data were collected in central Sweden from women on long-term sick leave (2– 24 months) for CMDs. The questionnaire was developed by conducting an elicitation study with 20 women and included both direct and indirect measures. Subsequently, 282 women participated in a psychometric evaluation and 35 of them in a test-retest procedure. Psychometric properties were evaluated by determining reliability (internal consistency [Cronbach's alpha] and test-retest stability [intraclass correlation coefficient]), construct validity (exploratory factor analysis) and content validity. RESULTS: The development resulted in 60 questionnaire items. Content validity assessment showed that the women overall found it easy to complete the questionnaire. Reliability analyses showed satisfactory results for both direct and indirect measures, with a few exceptions. Factor analyses of the indirect scales showed that items were generally in line with the TPB, but that items related to life as a whole/personal life and items related to work were separated into two different factors. CONCLUSION: The questionnaire, called the RTW Beliefs Questionnaire, showed promising results and can among women with CMDs be considered useful, especially the scales for direct measures. This questionnaire gives opportunity to identify new potential predictors for RTW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: This paper explores factors important for return to work (RTW) in people who have sustained a serious hand injury. PARTICIPANTS: Forty people aged 19-64, with a severe or major hand injury were recruited consecutively during 2005-2007. METHODS: A self-administered and study specific questionnaire, including demographic data and standardised questionnaires for function, disability, daily occupations, health, quality of life, sense of coherence and several open questions was sent out by mail twelve months after injury. Open questions regarding RTW were also included. RESULTS: The results showed that 27 people had returned to work within twelve months and 13 had not. Factors related to RTW and general work motivations were divided into individual factors, and factors related to the work environment and rehabilitation. The most prominent differences between the groups were individual factors, such as higher perceived disability, reduced hand function, and dissatisfaction with daily occupations resulting in a lower physical quality of life. The no RTW group had also more ward days (inpatient care) and lower sense of coherence. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the idea that the RTW process can be more dependent on the person's own ability and motivation than on the severity of the hand injury. Suggestions for intervention and further studies are presented in the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents findings on the role of online traveller information services in regional public transport for older people and people with functional limitations. An explanatory mixed methods design was used. A quantitative questionnaire study of the target group's need of traveller information and use of online traveller information services provided the basis for a qualitative focus group study of their attitudes towards online traveller information services in public transport and their perceptions of traveller information's role in their travel habits. The key findings suggest that the essential influence of access to traveller information through online traveller information services on the travel of older people and people with functional limitations is the reassurance that these services offer. This results in confidence that enables secure travel which in turn enables the older traveller or traveller with functional limitations to cope with possible difficulties during the journey. Thus there is a point in offering high quality traveller information to such people through online traveller information services. The point however, is not necessarily that they should undertake more journeys by public transport, but rather that when they travel they can do so confidently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a project with the aim of reducing the risk of injury when using precast concrete shells in the Swedish construction industry by identifying injury risks, developing and implementing solutions. An interactive research approach was used. Three major injury risks were identified and a system consisting of three tools and a handbook was developed, evaluated, and implemented at one company and made available to the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Research indicates that good organizational and psychosocial environments are vital to well-functioning workplaces and employee health. Working in the municipal sector and in the rural context may contribute to more health problems, poorer organizational and psychosocial work environments, and higher sick-leave rates. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore organizational and psychosocial environmental work factors among municipal employees with or without self-rated exhaustion disorder (s-ED) in rural northern Sweden. METHODS: The Modern Work Life Questionnaire and the Self-Rated Exhaustion Disorder Scale were used among 1093 municipal employees. RESULTS: The results showed that there were significant differences between the s-ED and the non–s-ED group in all but one of the organizational and psychosocial environmental work factors. Various demands, i.e. quantitative, emotional, intellectual, and IT demands were some factors associated with the s-ED group. Social support, resources, and time for work and reflection were some factors associated with the non–s-ED group. Both the s-ED and the non–s-ED groups assessed significantly higher emotional demands and less resources compared to national reference values. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study are relevant to a better understanding what organizational and psychosocial work environmental work factor the employer need to pay extra attention to. Addressing risk and protective factors in the work environment could tribute to promote occupational well-being, preventing exhaustion disorder and long-term sick leave among municipal employees in rural northern Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The potential of flexible scheduling to alleviate work-family tensions and replace female part-time work has not been thoroughly explored. Specifically, research has not acknowledged that employees' schedule control may be conditioned by organizational demands for availability and commitment. OBJECTIVE: We examine the links between flexibility and gendered patterns of work-family reconciliation by considering how work arrangements balance employer demands and employee control and how they relate to work-family tensions. METHODS: Using mixed-methods, we combine a survey of Swedish parents (n = 2320) with interviews of survey respondents (n = 40). First, we identify clusters of flexible work arrangements and explore differences between mothers and fathers. Second, we analyze the relationship between flexible work arrangements and work-family tensions. Finally, the qualitative data are used to explore how flexibility/lack of flexibility enter into parents' work-family tensions and negotiations. RESULTS: Three types of flexible work arrangements are found. Boundaryless jobs, which combine high levels of control with high requirements for organizational flexibility, are more common among fathers and highly educated. Confined jobs have low levels of both employee- and employer-oriented flexibility, but high demands, and are common among mothers and in female-dominated workplaces. Despite higher levels of control, boundaryless jobs are not associated with less work-family conflict. In malleable jobs, control is relatively high and demands low and work-family tensions are less noticeable. CONCLUSIONS: Employer- and employee-oriented flexibility go hand in hand, but work arrangements differ radically between groups. High flexibility does not alleviate work-family tensions, and part-time work remains an important work-family strategy for mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Recruiting and retaining managers has become increasingly difficult in recent years, primarily because of a pressured work situation. A better understanding of managers' work situation is required, and of the support they need. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to increase the understanding of managers' psychosocial work environment and health by investigating individuals as they enter or leave a managerial position. METHODS: Longitudinal questionnaire data from 1971 individuals distributed across four groups were used: individuals who 1) entered or 2) left a managerial position between measuring points, and those who remained employed as 3) managers or 4) non-managers at both measuring points. RESULTS: Demands increased between the measuring points for those who entered a managerial position. Their resources and health were, however, rated higher than non-managers already before the transition. Demands decreased for those who left a managerial position, while their resources remained higher than non-managers. Health did not change by changing position. CONCLUSION: This study contributes to knowledge of what happens when someone enters or leaves a managerial position and increases the understanding of differences between managers and non-managers. Organizations should develop supportive strategies through talent management programs to help build resources in employees and future managers. Support should also aim to reduce the increased level of demands in newly hired managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common cause of sickness absence (SA) and also highly associated with stigma. Few studies have addressed the role of stigma in relation to SA. OBJECTIVE: To investigate if attitudes to depression were associated with the public's opinion of depression as a valid reason of SA. METHODS: The study population (n = 2413) originated from a web-based panel of citizens. The survey included a short vignette describing a person with symptoms of depression and the person's work tasks, followed by a question on recommendation of SA. Negative attitudes were measured by the Depression Stigma Scale. Logistic regressions were used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) for the likelihood of not recommending SA, controlling for individual and work-related co-variates. RESULTS: The crude association between negative attitudes and not recommending SA was OR 2.15 (95% CI, 1.76–2.62). In the fully adjusted model the OR was 1.76 (95% CI, 1.40 –2.21) for not recommending SA. CONCLUSIONS: Participants with negative attitudes to depression were more likely to not consider depression as a valid reason of sickness absence. The study supports theories on layered stigma; attitudes from one arena are related to other arenas. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The ageing population has initiated a debate about a prolonged working life. There is an interest in finding the pre-retirement predictors of bridge employment and retirement decisions, but the understanding of the experiences of bridge employees is still limited. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to describe the characteristics of the pensioners working for a staffing agency, their motivational aspects, work patterns and types of services they provided. METHODS: This article analyses the results from a Swedish staffing agency's yearly co-worker questionnaire from December 2017. The response rate was 44% (N = 1741). The design is descriptive, with correlation analyses and construction of typical cases. RESULTS: Most study participants were aged 65–74 years. Sixty-five percent were men, 66% were cohabitating/married, dominating education level was secondary school or higher education (79%). Important incentives for working were the social context and to gain extra income. A majority of the respondents also stated that their work increased their overall well-being. Seventy-eight percent worked 25 hours per month or less, 37% wanted to work more, 3% wanted to work less. Private services dominated with 61%; most common were gardening (43%), trades (33%) and cleaning (31%). CONCLUSIONS: More men than women chose this form of work. While single women need to work out of economic necessity, men, to a larger extent, work for the social context and well-being. The highest work frequency in 2017 (14%) in the population was found for those who retired in 2015, i.e. two years after their retirement year. A majority indicated that the work they were doing was different from earlier in their working life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic changed the academic world in various ways, and most universities are still closed and continue operating via teleworking. OBJECTIVE: This study is intended to investigate how university faculty/staff and students in Sweden have coped with the lockdown and working/studying from home during the pandemic. METHODS: A survey was conducted among 277 women and men working and studying at different universities in Sweden. RESULTS: The results indicate that most (61%) respondents were very or somewhat satisfied with the current work-from-home arrangement. Additionally, they indicate that, overall, almost 30% were working more than usual due to the pandemic and teleworking. The coping methods having the highest impact on overall job satisfaction were: "thinking about what I can do rather than what I can't do"; "being able to access medical resources and medical services if I need to seek help"; and "having trust in state or health authorities in my country." CONCLUSIONS: The study reveals that Sweden can serve as a good example of how university faculty/staff and students can address the occupational challenges caused by a health pandemic and possible subsequent quarantines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: People with disabilities find it harder to enter the labour market than people without disabilities and those with a mental illness are, in relation to people with other disabilities, employed at an essentially lower extent. Many are effectively helped by the vocational rehabilitation model Individual Placement and Support (IPS), but there are still many individuals left in undesired unemployment. This study investigates potential predictors of the vocational outcomes of a one-year follow up of IPS in the north of Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were 65 men and women, mostly younger than 30 years of age diagnosed with a mental illness (predominantly with a diagnosis of anxiety and/or depression). METHODS: Baseline data related to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the client, the client's own perceptions of every day living and participation, self-esteem and quality of life, as well as the quantity of employment support, were investigated using analyses of logistic regression. RESULTS: Of three identified potential predictors, only psychiatric symptoms remained significant in the multivariate logistic regression analyses. A lower level of symptoms increased the odds with 5.5 for gaining employment during one year.CONCLUSIONS: Careful investigation of how psychiatric symptoms influence clients' occupational performance is of importance. By understanding essential aspects of the relationships between the clients' individual characteristics, the rehabilitation context and the vocational outcomes, more appropriate and effective interventions may be offered to the individual client. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Work-related stress (WRS) presents a risk for sick leave. However, effective methods to identify people at risk for sick leave due to WRS at an early stage are lacking in primary health care. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether a systematic early identification of WRS can prevent sick leave over 24 months after the intervention. METHODS: Study participants (n = 132 intervention; n = 139 control) were employed, non-sick-listed persons seeking care at primary health care centres. The intervention included early identification of WRS by a validated instrument, general practitioner (GP) awareness supported by a brief training session, patients' self-reflection by instrument completion, GP giving the patient feedback at consultation and GP identifying preventive measures. The control group received treatment as usual. Outcome data were retrieved from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. RESULTS: The intervention group had less registered median sick leave days (n = 56) than the control group (n = 65) but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The brief intervention was not proven effective in preventing sick leave in the following 24 months compared to treatment as usual. Further research on how to identify, advice and treat those at high risk for sick leave in primary health care is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The job demands on nurses have increased. Conflict between work life and family life may lead to stress and lower work engagement. Consequently, nurses may choose a different career path or leave the profession. OBJECTIVE: Examine the extent to which perceived job demands (interpersonal conflicts at work and workload), work engagement, work-family conflict and family-work conflict are associated with turnover intentions, and examine a possible moderating effect of work-family conflict on the relationship between the intention to leave the nursing profession, job demands and work engagement. METHODS: Cross-sectional study using Hobfoll's Conservation of Resources theory. Data were collected from a sample of 807 registered nurses (RNs) from western Sweden. Tests of moderation were conducted using the PROCESS software macro developed by Andrew F. Hayes. RESULTS: Work-family conflict was a significant moderator in the relationship between the intentions to leave the nursing profession and work engagement as well as interpersonal conflicts at work. Low work engagement, high work-family conflict and high job demands intensify turnover intentions in well-educated and well-experienced nurses. CONCLUSIONS: The results imply that work-family conflict has a greater impact when RNs experience lower work engagement. In other words, higher motivation implies a lower moderation effect of work-family conflict. Managers should promote a positive working climate by listening to and providing nurses with opportunities to develop their skills. By so doing, managers can gain better understanding of nurses' resources, knowledge and work situation, thus strengthening nurses' confidence and ability to practice their profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Health problems due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and common mental disorders (CMD) result in costs due to lost productivity. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to increase knowledge of employers' productivity loss due to employees' presenteeism and sickness absence. METHODS: A web questionnaire was sent to employers of workers who were sick-listed for more than 30 days due to MSD or CMD, response rate: 50%, n = 198. Presenteeism and the impact on productivity before and after sick leave, and the performance of work tasks by replacement workers during sick leave, were measured using supervisors' ratings. RESULTS: The average loss of productivity per sick-leave case amounted to almost 10 weeks, 53%of productivity loss was attributable to presenteeism and 47%to lower productivity by replacement workers. Employees with a CMD diagnosis had significantly higher presenteeism-related productivity loss than those with MSD. CONCLUSIONS: Employers experienced substantial productivity loss associated with employees' presenteeism and sick leave. Whether the supervisory rating of presenteeism is preferable to employee self-rating needs to be studied further. The long duration of presenteeism is counter-productive to resource-efficient organisations and indicates the need for improved supervisory skills to identify workers with poor health, both before and after sick leave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Working family carers are an important resource for the care of older people but can experience negative pressures without support. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the perceived value of forms of support and the level of receipt of valued forms of support among Swedish working carers, with a focus on information and communication technology (ICT)-mediated support. METHODS: A convenience sample (N = 129) of working carers caring for an older (⩾ 65 years) relative completed a web-based questionnaire that addressed: caring characteristics; work-care conflict; and valued and received forms of support. RESULTS: Overall non-ICT forms of support were the most highly valued, while receipt of valued support was low: on average only 16.9% of participants who valued ICT-mediated forms of support received such support, while the figure was only slightly higher (23.4%) for non-ICT forms of support. Higher levels of work-care conflict were associated with higher perceived value of support for 13 out of fourteen forms of support. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that ICT-mediated and non-ICT forms of support should be regarded as complementary, while the low level of receipt of valued forms of support could indicate high levels of unmet need in working carers. Implications for further research and policy on working carers are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Symptoms of burnout among new professionals is a well-recognized problem but there is a lack of prevention programs. Effective interventions are based on an understanding of the processes that contribute to the development of a problem and suggest how it may be addressed. OBJECTIVE: Using the framework of organizational socialization, the objective of this study was to investigate if development of the socialization processes role clarity, social acceptance, and task mastery affects development of symptoms of burnout among new professionals and may specifically be targeted in transition-to-practice programs to prevent symptoms of burnout from occurring. We conducted this investigation by examining the relations between role clarity, social acceptance, task mastery, and symptoms of burnout the first year after professional entry, as well as the relations between changes in the socialization processes and changes in symptoms of burnout during the first three years following professional entry in a sample of new nurses. METHOD: Relationships between the socialization processes and symptoms of burnout were modeled using a linear latent growth model and data from a nationally representative sample of 1210 new registered nurses. RESULTS: Role clarity, social acceptance, and task mastery were related to symptoms of burnout cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Task mastery was the most important explanatory variable. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that an intervention designed to support the development of the socialization processes may be effective in preventing symptoms of burnout among new nurses. Interventions targeting role clarity, social acceptance, and task mastery during the first professional year may be expected to have effects during the following years as well, extending the value and importance of such interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Research has demonstrated that persons with Usher syndrome type 1 (USH1) have significantly poorer physical and psychological health compared to a reference group. PURPOSE: To explore the relation between work, health, social trust, and financial situation in USH1 compared to a reference group. MATERIAL: Sixty-six persons (18–65 y) from the Swedish Usher database received a questionnaire and 47 were included, 23 working and 24 non-working. The reference group comprised 3,049 working and 198 non-working persons. METHODS: The Swedish Health on Equal Terms questionnaire was used and statistical analysis with multiple logistic regression was conducted. RESULTS: The USH1 non-work group had a higher Odds ratio (95% CI) in poor psychological and physical health, social trust, and financial situation compared to the USH1 work group and reference groups. Age, gender, hearing, and vision impairment did not explain the differences. The relation between the USH1 work and non-work groups showed the same pattern as the reference groups, but the magnitude of problems was significantly higher. CONCLUSIONS: Both disability and unemployment increased the risk of poor health, social trust and financial situation in persons with USH1, but having an employment seemed to counteract the risks related to disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Despite their disadvantaged labour market position, women consistently report higher levels of job satisfaction than men. Researchers have attributed women’s higher job satisfaction to their lower expectations, arguing that gender differences will fade away as women’s labour market prospects improve. Others, however, argue that women are more contented than men because their jobs satisfy a need for family adaptions. OBJECTIVE: In this article, we put the hypotheses of transitions and trade-offs to a strong test, by comparing men and women with comparable human capital investments living in a country where women’s employment is strongly supported by policies, practices and social norms. METHODS: The relationship between gender and job satisfaction is analysed with stepwise OLS regressions. The analysis is based on a survey to newly graduated highly educated men and women in five occupations in Sweden (n ≈ 2 450). RESULTS: First, we show that, after controlling for a range of job characteristics, women report a higher level of job satisfaction than men. Second, although the paradox appears to be surprisingly persistent, it cannot be attributed to work-family trade-offs. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should consider job satisfaction more broadly in the light of gender role socialization and persistent gender inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: In Sweden, homecare services take care of elderly and disabled people, work that often requires heavy lifting and forward bending, resulting in high prevalences of pain and work accidents. OBJECTIVE: Using an eight-year follow-up, this study determines the prognostic importance of certain musculoskeletal signs reported in earlier studies [1, 2] with respect to aspects of pain and perceived disability. METHODS: Baseline data has been reported in earlier studies of 607 women [1–3]. This study uses a postal questionnaire survey and reports the results of eight years post initial study. RESULTS: Segmental pain at L4-L5 and/or L5-S1 levels was associated with higher low back pain intensity and disability at the eight-year follow-up. A decrease in low back pain intensity over eight years was larger for those with segmental pain. The important signs in the longitudinal analyses of pain aspects and disability were lumbar spinal mobility and segmental pain at L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels, but the explained variations were low. CONCLUSION: Evaluation of low lumbar segmental pain provocation and mobility should be considered in routine clinical assessments, as this type of evaluation provides prognostic pain and disability information over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Shift work has been associated with poor health, sleep and fatigue problems and low satisfaction with working hours. However, one type of shift working, namely split shifts, have received little attention. OBJECTIVE: This study examined stress, health and psychosocial aspects of split-shift schedules among bus drivers in urban transport. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to drivers working more than 70% of full time which 235 drivers in total answered. RESULTS: In general, drivers working split-shift schedules (n = 146) did not differ from drivers not working such shifts (n = 83) as regards any of the outcome variables that were studied. However, when individual perceptions towards split-shift schedules were taken into account, a different picture appeared. Bus drivers who reported problems working split shifts (36%) reported poorer health, higher perceived stress, working hours interfering with social life, lower sleep quality, more persistent fatigue and lower general work satisfaction than those who did not view split shifts as a problem. Moreover, drivers who reported problems with split shifts also perceived lower possibilities to influence working hours, indicating lower work time control. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that split shifts were not associated with increased stress, poorer health and adverse psychosocial work factors for the entire study sample. However, the results showed that individual differences were important and approximately one third of the drivers reported problems with split shifts, which in turn was associated with stress, poor health and negative psychosocial work conditions. More research is needed to understand the individual and organizational determinants of tolerance to split shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Important success factors for the Occupational Health Service (OHS) include services being based on active participation and risk identification from a multidisciplinary/multifactorial perspective. Despite an extensive search, no questionnaire with this approach was found so a new questionnaire was developed at the OHS. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the new questionnaire named Structured Multidisciplinary work Evaluation Tool (SMET) through action research. METHOD: Communicative and pragmatic validity were tested through the development of the questionnaire using action theory and presented in a descriptive portrayal. The Content Validity Index (CVI) was used to test content validity for each item as well as for the questionnaire as a whole. RESULT: Communicative and pragmatic validity were developed and tested over time in four different periods between 2008 and 2014, in 24 clinics (with a total of approximately 1000 employees) in Region Jönköping County. The content validity of the SMET questionnaire as a whole was close to excellent and the validity of the questions regarding physically and psychosocially demanding work factors were found to be excellent. The questions regarding environmentally demanding work factors were found to have a lower, but still good, validity. CONCLUSION: The SMET questionnaire has very good content validity. The pervasive work with the SMET questionnaire also shows good pragmatic and communicative validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Health risk appraisals (HRAs) in occupational health services (OHS) in Sweden are very commonly used for health promotion issues, but not much research has explored the extent and nature of individual feedback that is provided. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe and explore HRAs in OHS regarding the content of the feedback in relation to the individual status and overall employee satisfaction. METHODS: Feedback (evaluation and advice) and employee satisfaction with HRA were studied in employees that participated in health risk appraisals with a specific feedback session (HRA-F) (n = 272) and employees that participated in a single session (HRA-S) (n = 104). Associations between feedback and individual status concerning life style were assessed with Cohen's kappa (k). RESULTS: The employees received mainly information and advice for improvement on health and lifestyle issues (89-100%), while advice for improvement of working conditions was less common (15-59%). The feedback provided on life style was not based on individual status (k < 0.4), except for smoking and risky alcohol consumption (k > 0.55). A great majority of employees reported good overall satisfaction with their HRAs. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation and feedback given to employees after HRAs should be based more on HRA-results and advice could be focused more on work-related factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Work-life balance is a priority of EU policies but at the same time demographic change affects the labour market. Employers have to deal with the ageing of their employees and adjust human resource management to maintain their competitiveness. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the article is to answer research questions: whether the age of workers determines their assessment of the work-life balance, and whether there is a relationship between the worker‘s age and their assessment of the activities undertaken by their employer to provide them with work-life balance. METHODS: The article is based on the results of surveys conducted among 500 employees of the SME sector from Finland, Lithuania and Sweden. RESULTS: The results identified a statistically significant difference: employees representing older age groups are more likely to indicate the maintenance of WLB; older workers more frequently do not agree that all workers have equal opportunities to benefit from flexible solutions aimed at ensuring the maintenance of WLB. CONCLUSIONS: The results can be the inspiration for the decisions and actions of employers in the field of personnel management and for creating workplace conditions encouraging senior workers to continue working, even upon becoming entitled to old-age pension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: In a municipality in Sweden there was a concern about the high alcohol consumption among its residents. An alcohol education program was provided to all those employed by the municipality. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether a day-long alcohol education program provided to all employed by a Swedish municipality had an effect on alcohol consumption among employees and specifically among employees with low and higher levels of consumption respectively. METHODS: A quasi-experimental evaluation using pre-test and post-test questionnaires was performed. The municipality's employees were divided in one intervention group (n: 124) and one control group (n: 139). ANOVA with repeated measures was performed on AUDIT-score and on three separate AUDIT-items: frequency of drinking, frequency of binge drinking, and typical amount consumed per drinking occasion. RESULTS: No significant effect on alcohol consumption was identified for the intervention group as a whole. Stratified analyses showed the intervention had a significant effect on reducing the frequency of binge drinking among those with the highest consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to many other studies on alcohol education, some results on behaviour were found when performing stratified analyses. The employees with the highest alcohol consumption, although not labelled high consumers, reduced the frequency of binge drinking. It is difficult to speculate whether these results can be generalized to other working populations. The results have to be compared with more direct methods of reaching risk consumers, such as screening and brief interventions. Knowledge about alcohol and the associated risks of alcohol consumption might facilitate the willingness to seek help sooner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Symptoms from the eyes are common among computer users. Knowledge is scarce about these problems, however. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to study risk-factors, incidence and persistence of eye-symptoms among professionally active computer users. METHODS: This was a questionnaire based prospective study where 1283 males and females from different professions and companies answered a baseline questionnaire about individual factors and working conditions, e.g. duration of daily computer work, comfort of screen work, psychosocial factors. Subjects were at baseline and 10 follow-ups asked about the number of days with eye-symptoms during the preceding month. RESULTS: The incidence-rate of symptoms persisting minimum three days was 0.38/person-year. A multivariate Hazard-ratio model showed significant associations with extended continuous computer work, tasks with high demands on eye-hand coordination, low level of control, visual discomfort, female sex and nicotine use. Eye-symptoms at baseline was a strong risk factor for new symptoms. CONCLUSION: The incidence of eye-symptoms among professional computer users is high and related to both individual and work-related factors. The organization of computer work should secure frequent breaks from near-work at the computer screen. The severity of vision-related problems could in field studies be quantified by asking for the persistence of symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prospective value of the transitional and dynamic patterns of pain disability over time on sick leave in chronic recurrent back/neck pain cases. METHODS: The material used was based on a longitudinal study with three repeated measurements. The graded Chronic Pain Scale was used to assess levels of pain disability. The relationship between the transitional patterns of the pain disability score (ten defined states of decrease, increase or no change, between two time points) and sick leave was analyzed for 909 chronic/recurrent cases in three different models using logistic regression. RESULTS: Those with high level of pain disability have a more transitional pattern and their pain level changed during the time period studied. When adjusting for age, gender, education and previous sick leave, the final model indicated that the current level of pain disability was a risk factor in taking sick leave. The likelihood of sick leave was highest in the transition of pain into the highest levels of disability, independent of past disability level of pain. Earlier sick leave remained as an important predictor of sick leave. CONCLUSIONS: From a clinical and prognostic perspective the probability of sick leave will be different and can be predicted based on previous sick leave but not from former history of pain disability level or its transitional pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To present validity data for the Work Experience Measurement Scale (WEMS), an instrument measuring multifaceted work experience from a salutogenic health resource perspective as a contrast to the more common pathogenic risk perspective, by exploring WEMS relationship to established measurements that are positively related to health and work. A salutogenic perspective focuses on finding conditions and resources in life, for example at work, that can enhance the individual's health and strength, instead of those causing illness and weakness. METHOD: This study was carried out in 2009 at a Swedish hospital with a web-based survey (WEMS) to 770 employees. Different occupational groups at the hospital participated. Additional questionnaires used at the same time were the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9), the Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale (SHIS), the General Self-Efficacy scale (GSE), and three questions about self-rated health, general well-being, and quality of life. RESULTS: Cronbach's Alpha of WEMS sub-indices were in the interval of 0.85-0.96. Convergent validity and discriminant validity of WEMS and its sub-indices were shown to be satisfying by correlations. In addition, WEMS demonstrated the ability to discriminate between groups. WEMS sub-indices discriminated even better between groups than the total index. CONCLUSION: The WEMS proved to be a workplace health promotion questionnaire that was able to measure experiences of work from a salutogenic perspective. The WEMS has a potential of being a useful tool in workplace health promotion to enhance positive human capabilities and resources to improve work performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim was to explore aspects of everyday life in addition to established risk factors and their relationship to subjective health and well-being among public sector employees in Sweden. Gainful employment impact on employees' health and well-being, but work is only one part of everyday life and a broader perspective is essential in order to identify health-related factors. Participants: Data were obtained from employees at six Social Insurance Offices in Sweden, 250 women and 50 men. Method: A questionnaire based on established instruments and questions specifically designed for this study was used. Relationships between five factors of everyday life, subjective health and well-being were investigated by means of multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: The final model revealed a limited importance of certain work-related factors. A general satisfaction with everyday activities, a stress-free environment and general control in addition to not having monotonous movements at work were found to be factors explaining 46.3% of subjective good health and well-being. Conclusions: A person's entire activity pattern, including work, is important, and strategies for promoting health should take into account the person's situation as a whole. The interplay between risk and health factors is not clear and further research is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop a self-report alternative to the Work Environment Impact Scale (WEIS). Participants: First the novel instrument was used and evaluated by ten occupational therapists and 45~clients in primary health care. Then the instrument was used by 26~clients who participated in a rehabilitation programme in another primary health care district. Methods: The instrument was investigated in two steps. First content validity and utility were investigated through a questionnaire addressed to occupational therapists and their clients respectively. The response distribution was calculated by frequencies. Internal consistency was investigated. In the second step, a revised version of the instrument was investigated for test-retest reliability and internal consistency. The test-retest reliability was calculated by weighted kappa. The internal consistency of the WEIS-SR was calculated by means of Cronbach's alpha. Results: In step one the content validity was good to moderately good, the utility was good, and the internal consistency was satisfactory (0.72). In step two the internal consistency was good (0.88/0.89) and the test-retest reliability was mostly good to moderate (0.35-0.78, median 0.61). Conclusions: The instrument will be further investigated in other populations and take into consideration additional psychometric properties such as sensitivity to change, predictive validity, and concurrent validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In decision making on the adoption of health care programmes, assistive technologies (ATs), and AT services for people with disabilities, cost-effectiveness analysis is increasingly important. The quality-adjusted life-year (QALY), which incorporates quality of life as well as survival, has become a standard unit of comparative efficacy, although there are methodological challenges in its use. The applicability of the concept of cost per QALY gained through intervention was investigated in one study of rollators and one of hearing aids. It was shown that two widely used instruments for deriving QALYs, HUI3 and EQ-5D, yield differing results, which may also differ depending on the type of disability. Because the magnitude of these differences could affect decision makers' willingness to provide reimbursement, the variability of cost-effectiveness results due to methodology should be considered in the policy-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at describing environmental barriers in housing and functional limitations among older community-living people in Sweden, to provide knowledge of housing accessibility problems from a longitudinal perspective, and to shed some light on older people's subjective reflections on housing. Along with a study-specific questionnaire on subjective reflections on housing, the Housing Enabler was used for data collection at home-visits (N=72), at baseline and six years later. At follow-up nearly all interviewees were content with their present home, and few answered that they planned to relocate. The prevalence of barriers was rather stable, and most of the changes over time indicated less environmental barriers, particularly indoors. Still, because of increased prevalence of functional limitations over time the magnitude of housing accessibility problems increased. In order to reduce needs for relocation, detailed information about the nature of the environmental barriers causing accessibility problems over time is useful. The results should be interpreted keeping in mind that they are country-specific for Sweden, while results of this kind should be valuable for development of strategies for removing environmental barriers in older peoples' homes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]