In 1990, a random sample of employees (1674 males and 1646 females) in Denmark between 35 and 59 ... more In 1990, a random sample of employees (1674 males and 1646 females) in Denmark between 35 and 59 years of age were interviewed about their psychosocial work environment, health, and job satisfaction. In 1995, the cohort was interviewed again regarding present employment status. Predictors from the 1990 interview for remaining in work in 1995 were identified by gender. After controlling for age, very good self-rated health and high development possibilities were found to be independent predictors for remaining in work among males. Among females the predictors were very good self-rated health, high development possibilities, high decision authority, medium level social support and absence of musculoskeletal problems in the knees. In the two extreme 10% risk groups, the "risk" of remaining in work was 58% and 81%, respectively, for males, and 46% and 82% for females.
Objectives: To investigate the predictive validity of 32 measures of the Danish Psychosocial Work... more Objectives: To investigate the predictive validity of 32 measures of the Danish Psychosocial Work Environment Questionnaire (DPQ) against two criteria variables: onset of depressive disorders and long-term sickness absence (LTSA). Methods: The DPQ was sent to 8958 employed individuals in 14 job groups of which 4340 responded (response rate: 48.4%). Depressive disorders were measured by self-report with a 6-month follow-up. LTSA was measured with a 1-year follow-up in a national register. We analyzed onset of depressive disorders at follow-up using logistic regression models, adjusted for age, sex, and job group, while excluding respondents with depressive disorders at baseline. We analyzed onset of LTSA with Cox regression models, adjusted for age, sex, and job group, while excluding respondents with previous LTSA. The general pattern of the results followed our hypotheses as high job demands, poorly organized working conditions, poor relations to colleagues and superiors, and negative reactions to the work situation predicted onset of depressive disorders at follow-up and onset of LTSA during follow-up. Analyzing onset of depressive disorders and onset of LTSA, we found risk estimates that deviated from unity in most of the investigated associations. Overall, we found higher risk estimates when analyzing onset of depressive disorders compared with onset of LTSA. Conclusions: The analyses provide support for the predictive validity of most DPQ-measures. Results suggest that the DPQ constitutes a useful tool for identifying risk factors for depression and LTSA in the psychosocial work environment.
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Jul 1, 1984
Contemporary research indicates that paranoia is directly related to good premorbid adjustment. A... more Contemporary research indicates that paranoia is directly related to good premorbid adjustment. Also, paranoids tend t o have shorter hospital~zations and betier recovery of social functioning than non paranoids, although prognosis for full remission of symptoms is p o o r A substantial minority of patients with an early diagnosis of paranoia deteriorate into a more withdrawn nonparanoid psychosis. When remission of paranoid symptoms occurs without chronic deterioration, [here is a grealer likelihood of relapse than there is for nonparanoid psychoses. In regard to treatment, good premorbid paranoid schizophrenics respond rather well to phenothiazinrs, whereas good premorbid non-paranoid schizophrenics tend to deteriorate under the influence of s~andard medication. Systematic desensitization is effective in reducing delusional behavior, but generalization is limited. Many discussions and case reports support the use of psychotherapy with paranoids, but no conclusive outeome studies have been reported. Ciroup therapy, cognitive therapy, and milieau therapy hold promise but need systematic evaluation.
... Sense of coherence (SOC) is one of the factors proposed as a moderator of the ... 1987) assum... more ... Sense of coherence (SOC) is one of the factors proposed as a moderator of the ... 1987) assumed that persons with high SOC would be in better general health and would ... Employees at 52 workplaces in three organizations: (1) Copenhagen Municiple Health Services: nursing ...
Purpose To investigate associations between acts of offensive behaviour (threats, violence, bully... more Purpose To investigate associations between acts of offensive behaviour (threats, violence, bullying, and unwanted sexual attention) and risk of long-term sickness absence for eight or more consecutive weeks among female staff in the Danish elder-care services. Methods These associations were investigated using Cox regression analysis. Data consisted of a merger between Danish survey data collected among 9,520 female employees in the Danish elder-care services and register data on sickness absence compensation. Results Compared to unexposed employees, employees frequently exposed to threats (HR = 1.52, 95% CI:1.11-2.07), violence (HR = 1.54, 95% CI:1.06-2.25), and bullying (HR = 2.33, 95% CI:1.55-3.51) had significantly increased risk of long-term sickness absence when adjusting for age, job function, tenure, BMI, smoking status, and psychosocial work conditions. When mutually adjusting for the four types of offensive behaviours, only bullying remained significantly associated with risk of long-term sickness absence (HR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.50-3.42). No significant associations were found between unwanted sexual attention and risk for long-term sickness absence. Conclusions Results indicate that prevention of threats, violence, and bullying may contribute to reduced sickness absence among elder-care staff. The results furthermore suggest that work organizations must be attentive on how to handle and prevent acts of offensive behaviour and support targets of offensive behaviours.
This study explored the association between the twojobstress models, job-strain and effort-reward... more This study explored the association between the twojobstress models, job-strain and effort-reward imbalance, and mental health outcomes in a working population exposed to major organizational changes. The cross-sectional study was based on 680 subjects, 504 men and 176 women. Psychosocial factors at work included: psychological demands, decision latitude, social support, effort, reward, and overcommitment. Mental health outcomes were depressive symptoms (CES-D) and psychiatric disorders (GHQ-12). Job strain, low decision latitude, effort-reward imbalance, and low reward (especially job instability) were found to be associated with depressive symptoms and/or psychiatric disorders among men. Overcommitment at work was a risk factor for both men and women. Social support at work played a role to reduce depressive symptoms for women. These findings emphasize the deleterious effects of psychosocial work environment on mental health during major organizational changes.
The cross sectional study took place between September 2016 and March 2017: twenty incubators, us... more The cross sectional study took place between September 2016 and March 2017: twenty incubators, used for critical newborns in the ''Neonatal Pediatric Unit'' of the Teaching Hospital of Siena, were swabbed before and after the disinfection protocol in 13 sampling points. Sanitation procedures were performed by trained staff, implementing the product Umonium38 as disinfectant. Different culture media for the identification of the microbial contamination were adopted: plates were incubated for the proper time and the results were referred to Colony Forming Units (CFUs)/swab per point. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. We also evaluated 95% confidence intervals (C.I.) of the average percentage of reduction by the bootstrap bias corrected and accelerated resampling method. Results Matched points analysed were 313. The average CFUs percentage of reduction was 93.5% [C.I. 90.6-95.9%]: it was higher, 97.0% [94.1-99.1%], in points placed inside the incubators structure compared to the 88.4% [83.6-93.0%] obtained outside. Conclusions The disinfection protocol achieved good results. In particular, an higher sanitation of the inner points, more at risk to harm the health of the newborns, highlighted the attention of the operators in following correct hygienification procedures. Routine surveillance and supervision of the various aspects of the disinfection processes (procedures, staff and disinfectants) could guarantee a safe environment during the first days of babies life.
Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies, Apr 30, 2022
Background: Individual use of selection, optimisation, and compensation (SOC) is positively assoc... more Background: Individual use of selection, optimisation, and compensation (SOC) is positively associated with work ability; however, this association has never been explored at the group or leadership levels. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the strength of associations between employee-rated use of SOC at the individual, group, and leadership levels and self-rated work ability among nurses. Method: A random sample of 2000 nurses were invited to participate in a questionnaire survey, among whom 785 responded. Results: Employee-rated use of SOC at the individual and group levels was positively associated with self-rated work ability when controlling for psychosocial working environment factors and health. The association was strongest at the group level. Conclusion: Efforts to enhance the collective use of SOC may prove beneficial to maintain the work ability of nurses and retain them in the profession.
This study aims to provide insight into educational differences in working life expectancy (WLE) ... more This study aims to provide insight into educational differences in working life expectancy (WLE) in, and working years lost (WYL) through disability benefits and other non-employment states the Netherlands.
Skin problems are often regarded as part of the job in wet occupations. Bad habits as not using p... more Skin problems are often regarded as part of the job in wet occupations. Bad habits as not using protective gloves and moisturizers are often justified by the workers and ignored by the management. To change habits at the shop floor, involvement of the whole organisation is necessary. The objective of an intervention in 6 gut‐cleaning departments was to implement good habits by establishing a safety management system to manage skin risk. Local teams with representatives from all levels of the organisation were trained to run the process. Each team included 2–5 gut‐cleaners, who should embody good habits and supervise their colleagues. Implementation research studies evaluate the understanding and acceptance of the intervention at the workplace and the association of the implementation and the reduction of work related diseases. Data are collected from questionnaires, interviews, written documents, etc. The change after one year in the frequency of eczema on hands and forearms within ...
Due to aging populations and the prolonging of working lives, the number of senior workers will i... more Due to aging populations and the prolonging of working lives, the number of senior workers will increase. Therefore, this study investigates the use of SOC strategies (Selection, Optimization, and Compensation) across organizational levels as a means for senior workers to maintain workability and age successfully at work. The need to expand the perspective of the SOC model beyond the individual level, when applied to a work context, has been emphasized theoretically in the literature, nevertheless, SOC strategies have so far only been examined at the individual level. This study is the first to explore SOC strategies at the organizational, leadership, and group level. We focus on senior employees and the SOC strategies they use to balance out demands and limited resources. Based on 23 semi-structured interviews with senior employees and immediate managers at two hospitals (nurses), and two dairies (skilled/unskilled workers), we explore which specific SOC strategies are used at each...
The study explored the association between team-level social capital and individual-level work en... more The study explored the association between team-level social capital and individual-level work engagement. Questionnaire data were collected from six companies in the dairy industry. Seven hundred seventy-two participants divided into 65 teams were included. In confirmatory factor analyses, we found a superior model fit to a four dimensional model of social capital: bonding social capital, bridging social capital and two types of linking social capital. The results showed a positive association between all subtypes of social capital at the team level and work engagement at the individual level. However, this association only remained significant for linking social capital in relation the workplace as a whole when we adjusted for psychosocial working conditions. The level of intra-team agreement in social capital score did not moderate the association between social capital and work engagement. In conclusion, the results provide further support for previous findings suggesting a posi...
This study investigates the universality of transformational leadership with respect to employee ... more This study investigates the universality of transformational leadership with respect to employee perceptions and three outcomes: job satisfaction, self-rated health, and well-being. We do so among employees of different national and cultural backgrounds, yet within a shared national and sectorial setting. Our study has a repeated measures design based on survey data from 2,947 employees (2,836 natives Danes and 111 immigrants) in the Danish elder care sector. While we find no difference between native Danes and immigrants in their perception of transformational leadership, we find that transformational leadership is not a universal predictor of outcomes. Although transformational leadership predicts change in none of the outcomes for immigrants, it does predict change in job satisfaction and well-being for native Danes. Based on our findings, we suggest applying a combination of universalistic and contingency paradigms when leading composite employee groups.
In 1990, a random sample of employees (1674 males and 1646 females) in Denmark between 35 and 59 ... more In 1990, a random sample of employees (1674 males and 1646 females) in Denmark between 35 and 59 years of age were interviewed about their psychosocial work environment, health, and job satisfaction. In 1995, the cohort was interviewed again regarding present employment status. Predictors from the 1990 interview for remaining in work in 1995 were identified by gender. After controlling for age, very good self-rated health and high development possibilities were found to be independent predictors for remaining in work among males. Among females the predictors were very good self-rated health, high development possibilities, high decision authority, medium level social support and absence of musculoskeletal problems in the knees. In the two extreme 10% risk groups, the "risk" of remaining in work was 58% and 81%, respectively, for males, and 46% and 82% for females.
Objectives: To investigate the predictive validity of 32 measures of the Danish Psychosocial Work... more Objectives: To investigate the predictive validity of 32 measures of the Danish Psychosocial Work Environment Questionnaire (DPQ) against two criteria variables: onset of depressive disorders and long-term sickness absence (LTSA). Methods: The DPQ was sent to 8958 employed individuals in 14 job groups of which 4340 responded (response rate: 48.4%). Depressive disorders were measured by self-report with a 6-month follow-up. LTSA was measured with a 1-year follow-up in a national register. We analyzed onset of depressive disorders at follow-up using logistic regression models, adjusted for age, sex, and job group, while excluding respondents with depressive disorders at baseline. We analyzed onset of LTSA with Cox regression models, adjusted for age, sex, and job group, while excluding respondents with previous LTSA. The general pattern of the results followed our hypotheses as high job demands, poorly organized working conditions, poor relations to colleagues and superiors, and negative reactions to the work situation predicted onset of depressive disorders at follow-up and onset of LTSA during follow-up. Analyzing onset of depressive disorders and onset of LTSA, we found risk estimates that deviated from unity in most of the investigated associations. Overall, we found higher risk estimates when analyzing onset of depressive disorders compared with onset of LTSA. Conclusions: The analyses provide support for the predictive validity of most DPQ-measures. Results suggest that the DPQ constitutes a useful tool for identifying risk factors for depression and LTSA in the psychosocial work environment.
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Jul 1, 1984
Contemporary research indicates that paranoia is directly related to good premorbid adjustment. A... more Contemporary research indicates that paranoia is directly related to good premorbid adjustment. Also, paranoids tend t o have shorter hospital~zations and betier recovery of social functioning than non paranoids, although prognosis for full remission of symptoms is p o o r A substantial minority of patients with an early diagnosis of paranoia deteriorate into a more withdrawn nonparanoid psychosis. When remission of paranoid symptoms occurs without chronic deterioration, [here is a grealer likelihood of relapse than there is for nonparanoid psychoses. In regard to treatment, good premorbid paranoid schizophrenics respond rather well to phenothiazinrs, whereas good premorbid non-paranoid schizophrenics tend to deteriorate under the influence of s~andard medication. Systematic desensitization is effective in reducing delusional behavior, but generalization is limited. Many discussions and case reports support the use of psychotherapy with paranoids, but no conclusive outeome studies have been reported. Ciroup therapy, cognitive therapy, and milieau therapy hold promise but need systematic evaluation.
... Sense of coherence (SOC) is one of the factors proposed as a moderator of the ... 1987) assum... more ... Sense of coherence (SOC) is one of the factors proposed as a moderator of the ... 1987) assumed that persons with high SOC would be in better general health and would ... Employees at 52 workplaces in three organizations: (1) Copenhagen Municiple Health Services: nursing ...
Purpose To investigate associations between acts of offensive behaviour (threats, violence, bully... more Purpose To investigate associations between acts of offensive behaviour (threats, violence, bullying, and unwanted sexual attention) and risk of long-term sickness absence for eight or more consecutive weeks among female staff in the Danish elder-care services. Methods These associations were investigated using Cox regression analysis. Data consisted of a merger between Danish survey data collected among 9,520 female employees in the Danish elder-care services and register data on sickness absence compensation. Results Compared to unexposed employees, employees frequently exposed to threats (HR = 1.52, 95% CI:1.11-2.07), violence (HR = 1.54, 95% CI:1.06-2.25), and bullying (HR = 2.33, 95% CI:1.55-3.51) had significantly increased risk of long-term sickness absence when adjusting for age, job function, tenure, BMI, smoking status, and psychosocial work conditions. When mutually adjusting for the four types of offensive behaviours, only bullying remained significantly associated with risk of long-term sickness absence (HR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.50-3.42). No significant associations were found between unwanted sexual attention and risk for long-term sickness absence. Conclusions Results indicate that prevention of threats, violence, and bullying may contribute to reduced sickness absence among elder-care staff. The results furthermore suggest that work organizations must be attentive on how to handle and prevent acts of offensive behaviour and support targets of offensive behaviours.
This study explored the association between the twojobstress models, job-strain and effort-reward... more This study explored the association between the twojobstress models, job-strain and effort-reward imbalance, and mental health outcomes in a working population exposed to major organizational changes. The cross-sectional study was based on 680 subjects, 504 men and 176 women. Psychosocial factors at work included: psychological demands, decision latitude, social support, effort, reward, and overcommitment. Mental health outcomes were depressive symptoms (CES-D) and psychiatric disorders (GHQ-12). Job strain, low decision latitude, effort-reward imbalance, and low reward (especially job instability) were found to be associated with depressive symptoms and/or psychiatric disorders among men. Overcommitment at work was a risk factor for both men and women. Social support at work played a role to reduce depressive symptoms for women. These findings emphasize the deleterious effects of psychosocial work environment on mental health during major organizational changes.
The cross sectional study took place between September 2016 and March 2017: twenty incubators, us... more The cross sectional study took place between September 2016 and March 2017: twenty incubators, used for critical newborns in the ''Neonatal Pediatric Unit'' of the Teaching Hospital of Siena, were swabbed before and after the disinfection protocol in 13 sampling points. Sanitation procedures were performed by trained staff, implementing the product Umonium38 as disinfectant. Different culture media for the identification of the microbial contamination were adopted: plates were incubated for the proper time and the results were referred to Colony Forming Units (CFUs)/swab per point. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. We also evaluated 95% confidence intervals (C.I.) of the average percentage of reduction by the bootstrap bias corrected and accelerated resampling method. Results Matched points analysed were 313. The average CFUs percentage of reduction was 93.5% [C.I. 90.6-95.9%]: it was higher, 97.0% [94.1-99.1%], in points placed inside the incubators structure compared to the 88.4% [83.6-93.0%] obtained outside. Conclusions The disinfection protocol achieved good results. In particular, an higher sanitation of the inner points, more at risk to harm the health of the newborns, highlighted the attention of the operators in following correct hygienification procedures. Routine surveillance and supervision of the various aspects of the disinfection processes (procedures, staff and disinfectants) could guarantee a safe environment during the first days of babies life.
Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies, Apr 30, 2022
Background: Individual use of selection, optimisation, and compensation (SOC) is positively assoc... more Background: Individual use of selection, optimisation, and compensation (SOC) is positively associated with work ability; however, this association has never been explored at the group or leadership levels. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the strength of associations between employee-rated use of SOC at the individual, group, and leadership levels and self-rated work ability among nurses. Method: A random sample of 2000 nurses were invited to participate in a questionnaire survey, among whom 785 responded. Results: Employee-rated use of SOC at the individual and group levels was positively associated with self-rated work ability when controlling for psychosocial working environment factors and health. The association was strongest at the group level. Conclusion: Efforts to enhance the collective use of SOC may prove beneficial to maintain the work ability of nurses and retain them in the profession.
This study aims to provide insight into educational differences in working life expectancy (WLE) ... more This study aims to provide insight into educational differences in working life expectancy (WLE) in, and working years lost (WYL) through disability benefits and other non-employment states the Netherlands.
Skin problems are often regarded as part of the job in wet occupations. Bad habits as not using p... more Skin problems are often regarded as part of the job in wet occupations. Bad habits as not using protective gloves and moisturizers are often justified by the workers and ignored by the management. To change habits at the shop floor, involvement of the whole organisation is necessary. The objective of an intervention in 6 gut‐cleaning departments was to implement good habits by establishing a safety management system to manage skin risk. Local teams with representatives from all levels of the organisation were trained to run the process. Each team included 2–5 gut‐cleaners, who should embody good habits and supervise their colleagues. Implementation research studies evaluate the understanding and acceptance of the intervention at the workplace and the association of the implementation and the reduction of work related diseases. Data are collected from questionnaires, interviews, written documents, etc. The change after one year in the frequency of eczema on hands and forearms within ...
Due to aging populations and the prolonging of working lives, the number of senior workers will i... more Due to aging populations and the prolonging of working lives, the number of senior workers will increase. Therefore, this study investigates the use of SOC strategies (Selection, Optimization, and Compensation) across organizational levels as a means for senior workers to maintain workability and age successfully at work. The need to expand the perspective of the SOC model beyond the individual level, when applied to a work context, has been emphasized theoretically in the literature, nevertheless, SOC strategies have so far only been examined at the individual level. This study is the first to explore SOC strategies at the organizational, leadership, and group level. We focus on senior employees and the SOC strategies they use to balance out demands and limited resources. Based on 23 semi-structured interviews with senior employees and immediate managers at two hospitals (nurses), and two dairies (skilled/unskilled workers), we explore which specific SOC strategies are used at each...
The study explored the association between team-level social capital and individual-level work en... more The study explored the association between team-level social capital and individual-level work engagement. Questionnaire data were collected from six companies in the dairy industry. Seven hundred seventy-two participants divided into 65 teams were included. In confirmatory factor analyses, we found a superior model fit to a four dimensional model of social capital: bonding social capital, bridging social capital and two types of linking social capital. The results showed a positive association between all subtypes of social capital at the team level and work engagement at the individual level. However, this association only remained significant for linking social capital in relation the workplace as a whole when we adjusted for psychosocial working conditions. The level of intra-team agreement in social capital score did not moderate the association between social capital and work engagement. In conclusion, the results provide further support for previous findings suggesting a posi...
This study investigates the universality of transformational leadership with respect to employee ... more This study investigates the universality of transformational leadership with respect to employee perceptions and three outcomes: job satisfaction, self-rated health, and well-being. We do so among employees of different national and cultural backgrounds, yet within a shared national and sectorial setting. Our study has a repeated measures design based on survey data from 2,947 employees (2,836 natives Danes and 111 immigrants) in the Danish elder care sector. While we find no difference between native Danes and immigrants in their perception of transformational leadership, we find that transformational leadership is not a universal predictor of outcomes. Although transformational leadership predicts change in none of the outcomes for immigrants, it does predict change in job satisfaction and well-being for native Danes. Based on our findings, we suggest applying a combination of universalistic and contingency paradigms when leading composite employee groups.
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Papers by Vilhelm Borg