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Background: Work-family conflicts (WFC) have been associated with poor mental health, poor self-rated health and sickness absence. However, studies on short sickness absence are lacking and more information is needed also about long sickness absence regarding the direction of WFC, and potential explaining factors particularly among young and early middle-aged employees. Methods: The Helsinki Health Study baseline survey (2017) among 19- to 39-year-old municipal employees (N=3683, 80% women, response rate 51.5%) was linked to employer's sickness absence data. The associations of work-to-family conflicts (WTFC) and family-to-work conflicts (FTWC) with short (1-7 days) and long (over 7 days) sickness absence were analyzed using negative binomial regression analysis. Covariates were age, gender, family-related factors and work-related factors. Stratified analyses by occupational class were performed. The results are presented as rate ratios and their 95% confidence intervals. Results: High WTFC were associated with short (1.25, 1.12-1.40) and long (1.37, 1.11-1.70) sickness absence. High FTWC were also associated with short (1.12, 1.03-1.22) and long (1.24, 1.06-1.45) sickness absence. Adjustment for family-related factors strengthened the associations, whereas adjustment for work-related factors abolished the associations between WTFC and sickness absence. Associations between WFC and sickness absence were observed among two lowest occupational classes only. Conclusion: WFC are associated with both short and long sickness absence. Work-related factors including the quality of supervisory work and shift work play a role in the association. Intervention studies could determine if improvements in combining work and family life lead to a reduction in sickness absence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In the last few decades, suicide rates have decreased in most European countries. However, periodic changes in risk by occupational class have not been studied as much in detail. Methods Representative cohorts of Finnish working-age men were followed for nine years on suicide mortality starting from five different census years (1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010). Each cohort included between 300 970 and 332 318 men. Cox regression modelling was used to estimate hazard ratios by census year, occupational class and their interactions. Further models adjusted for age and its interactions with census year and occupational class. Results The risk of male suicide has more than halved between 1991 and 2019. The relative hazard ratio of suicide in manual workers compared to managers and professionals was around 1.6 to 1.8 times higher. The period when the suicide risk started to decline differed by occupational class: a significant decrease compared to 1970s' levels was seen for managers and professionals already in the 1990s and for lower non-manual employees around 10 years later (in the 2000s). Manual workers only reached the 1970s suicide risk of managers and professionals in the 2000s and 2010s. Conclusion A delayed reduction of suicide rates among lower occupational classes suggests that the impact of social changes can occur at different speed in different population groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Heavy physical effort at work has been linked with disability pension, but the contribution of other ergonomic job exposures is less studied. We studied the independent and joint contributions of long-term exposure to (i) rotation of the back and (ii) repetitive movements to disability pension, particularly due to musculoskeletal disorders. Methods Exposures were measured with the Helsinki Health Study Job Exposure Matrix during 1996–2005 and linked to register data on employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland (n = 18 585). Outcomes were followed up during 2006–2015. Competing risk survival analyses were performed and synergy indices computed, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Results Long-term exposure to rotation of the back was associated with disability pension due to any cause [age and sex-adjusted subhazard ratio (SHR) 2.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.73–3.30], and specifically disability pension due to musculoskeletal disorders (SHR = 3.39, 95% CI 1.52–7.56) when compared to employees exposed to neither of the two exposures. Repetitive movements alone did not increase the risk of disability pension (all-cause SHR = 1.08, 95% CI 0.84–1.38, musculoskeletal SHR = 1.65, 95% CI 0.91–2.97). Employees with exposure to both rotation of the back and repetitive movements had the highest risk of disability pension due to musculoskeletal disorders (SHR = 5.98, 95% CI 3.85–9.28), but the interaction between exposures was additive rather than synergistic. Adjustment for education diluted the associations by 42–108%. Conclusion Long-term exposure to awkward work postures increased the risk of disability pension. Educational inequalities largely account for differences in occupational exposures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Most studies on prolonging working careers have explored later career, while less is known about social and particularly health-related determinants of entry into labour market. We examined social and health-related factors from childhood and adolescence as predictors of age at entry into paid employment and early occupational class, and whether own education moderates these associations. Methods The Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 was followed from birth until the end of 2015. We included 8542 participants (52% male) who had had a minimum of 6-month employment that was defined by registered earning periods. As socioeconomic predictors, we examined low parental education at age 7 and low household income at age 16. Behaviour- and health-related factors at age 16 included smoking, alcohol use, physical inactivity, overweight, length of sleep and not having breakfast, while mental health problems included symptoms of anxiety and depression, attention problems and social problems. The analyses for significant predictors were further stratified by register-based level of completed own education by age 28–29 (low/high). Results After adjustments, low parental education, smoking and having been drunk were significant predictors of early entry into paid employment (≤18 vs. ≥24 years), especially among those who later obtained high education. Low parental education and smoking were predictors of low or non-specified (vs. high) occupational class in the first job. Mental health problems were not associated with either outcome. Conclusions Socioeconomic background and unhealthy lifestyle contribute to early entry into the labour market and low occupational status in the first job. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Changes in health functioning over different retirement transitions are poorly understood. This study aimed to examine associations between transition into statutory, disability and part-time retirement, and changes in health functioning. Methods Survey data were collected among ageing employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland, at three phases: (i) (2000–02), (ii) (2007) and (iii) (2012). Physical and mental health functioning were measured using the Short-Form 36 questionnaire at each phase. Retirees between phases 1 and 3 were identified from the national registers of the Finnish Centre for Pensions: full-time statutory retirement (n = 1464), part-time retirement (n = 404), and disability retirement (n = 462). Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the associations. Results Disability retirees had poorer pre- and post-retirement health functioning compared to statutory and part-time retirees. Statutory and part-time retirement were associated with no or only small changes in physical health functioning during retirement transition (β 0.1, 95% CI −0.3 to 0.5 and −1.0, −1.8 to −0.1, respectively), whereas a clear decline in functioning was observed among disability retirees (−4.3, −5.4 to −3.2). Mental health functioning improved during the retirement transition among statutory and part-time retirees (1.9, 1.4–2.4 and 2.0, 1.0–3.0, respectively), whereas no change was observed for disability retirees. Conclusions Transition to disability retirement led to a decrease in physical health functioning, and statutory retirement to a slight improvement in mental health functioning. Evidence on changes in physical and mental health functioning during retirement transition process may provide useful information for interventions to promote healthy ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Unemployment in early adulthood is associated with higher rate of disability due to common mental disorders (CMDs). We investigated to what extent the association between unemployment and sub-sequent long-term sickness absence due to CMDs is direct or whether it is dependent on accumulation of mental health problems and socioeconomic disadvantage. Methods In this longitudinal study, a population-based 60% sample of Finnish young adults born between 1983 and 1985 (N = 116 878) was followed up for the incidence of CMDs from 2006 to 2010. Sociodemographic and health-related covariates were identified using several nationwide registers. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and survival and cumulative hazard functions for CMD were calculated. A matching procedure was applied to account for the systematic differences in the distribution of the baseline characteristics. Results A total of 1416 (2.4%) of men and 2539 (4.4%) of women were granted a long-term sickness allowance for CMD during the follow-up. After matching, HR (95% CI) of CMD for men decreased from 2.38 (2.12–2.68) to 1.31 (1.03–1.67) and for women from 1.97 (1.79–2.18) to 1.39 (1.18–1.65). Approximately half of the effect of the unemployment on CMDs was explained by the background variables. Conclusion Using a causal approach, our study suggests that unemployment is consistently associated with an increased risk of work disability due to CMDs. Considering the young unemployed as a risk group may help in targeting interventions promoting mental health and improving educational and employment opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies on changes in working conditions and mental health are few and have typically focused only on psychosocial working conditions. We assessed the impact of changes in both psychosocial and physical working conditions on common mental disorders (CMDs) in a cohort of midlife and older employees. Methods: Repeat data were derived from the Helsinki Health Study, which is a cohort study on employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland (aged 40-60 years at baseline). Changes in working conditions were assessed between Phase 1 (2000-2002) and Phase 2 (2007). CMD was assessed at Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 (2012) using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. In total, 4946 participants (82% women) who were still employed at Phase 2 were available for the analyses. Logistic regression analyses using generalized estimating equations were conducted to examine the association between changes in working conditions and the likelihood of CMD. ORs and their 95% CIs were estimated. Results: After adjustment for sex, age, marital status, health behaviours and obesity; increased and repeated exposure to low job control, high job demands and repetitive movements and repeated exposure to awkward postures and rotation of back were associated with a higher likelihood of CMD at Phases 1-3. Fully adjusted ORs ranged from 1.27 to 2.39 for psychosocial, and from 1.18 to 1.29 for physical working conditions. Conclusions: Repeated and increased exposures to several adverse psychosocial and physical working conditions are associated with a higher likelihood of CMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Environmental factors may affect adolescents' eating habits and thereby body weight. However, the contribution of school neighbourhood environment is poorly understood. This study examined the association between proximity of a fast-food outlet or grocery store to school and adolescents' eating habits and overweight. Methods: Participants were 23 182 adolescents (mean age 15 years) who responded to a classroom survey in 181 lower secondary schools in Finland (2008-09). School location was linked to data on distance from school to the nearest fast-food outlet or grocery store (≤100 m, 101−500 m, >500 m) using global positioning system-coordinate databases. Outcomes were irregular eating habits (skipping breakfast, skipping free school lunch, skipping free school-provided snacks and not having family dinners), the accumulation of these habits and overweight, including obesity (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2). Results: Thirteen percentage of the participants were overweight. Having a fast-food outlet or grocery store near school was associated with skipping often breakfast and free school lunch, and the accumulation of irregular eating habits. The proximity of a fast-food outlet or grocery store was associated with a 1.25-fold (95% confidence interval 1.03-1.52) risk of overweight among adolescent with a low socioeconomic status but not among those with higher socioeconomic status. This association was partly (12%) explained by the accumulation of irregular eating habits. Conclusions: Among adolescents from low socioeconomic background, the presence of fast-food retailers near schools is associated with accumulation of irregular eating habits and greater overweight. These findings suggest that obesogenic school neighbourhoods may contribute to social inequalities in overweight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This ongoing prospective study examined characteristics of school neighborhood and neighborhood of residence as predictors of sick leave among school teachers. School neighborhood income data for 226 lower-level comprehensive schools in 10 towns in Finland were derived from Statistics Finland and were linked to register-based data on 3,063 teachers with no long-term sick leave at study entry. Outcome was medically certified (>9 days) sick leave spells during a mean follow-up of 4.3 years from data collection in 2000–2001. A multilevel, cross-classified Poisson regression model, adjusted for age, type of teaching job, length and type of job contract, school size, baseline health status, and income level of the teacher's residential area, showed a rate ratio of 1.30 (95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.63) for sick leave among female teachers working in schools located in low-income neighborhoods compared with those working in high-income neighborhoods. A low income level of the teacher's residential area was also independently associated with sick leave among female teachers (rate ratio = 1.50, 95% confidence interval: 1.18, 1.91). Exposure to both low-income school neighborhoods and low-income residential neighborhoods was associated with the greatest risk of sick leave (rate ratio = 1.71, 95% confidence interval: 1.27, 2.30). This study indicates that working and living in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with increased risk of sick leave among female teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]