Johannes Siegrist1, Morten Wahrendorf2, Marcel Goldberg3,4, Marie Zins3,4, Hanno Hoven5. 1. Senior Professorship on Work Stress Research, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany. 2. Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany. 3. INSERM UMS 11, Paris, France. 4. Paris Descartes University, Paris, France. 5. Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany. Hanno.hoven@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Despite its importance a comprehensive assessment of health functioning has rarely been included in epidemiological investigations of work-related health outcomes. In this study, we analyzed associations of a health-adverse psychosocial work environment with a comprehensive set of subjective and objective measures of health functioning that cover the three domains of affective, cognitive, and physical functioning. METHODS: Baseline data from the French CONSTANCES cohort study were used with a sample of 24,327 employed men and women aged 45-60. Psychosocial work environment was measured by the short version of the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) questionnaire. Measures of health functioning were depressive symptoms, semantic fluency, verbal memory, walking speed, standing balance and lung function. RESULTS: First, we replicated main psychometric properties of the ERI questionnaire in the French cohort. Second, ERI scales revealed consistent associations with depressive symptoms, but less consistent links to cognitive and physical function. Among men, we observed an association of stressful work with reduced lung function. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated consistent associations of stressful work in terms of effort-reward imbalance with affective functioning in a large sample of male and female employees. Relationships with physical functioning were less consistent and restricted to men, and cognitive functioning was only marginally associated with stressful work. We also established the psychometric properties of the French short version of the ERI questionnaire, thus offering a tool for guiding and harmonizing further research in this field.
PURPOSE: Despite its importance a comprehensive assessment of health functioning has rarely been included in epidemiological investigations of work-related health outcomes. In this study, we analyzed associations of a health-adverse psychosocial work environment with a comprehensive set of subjective and objective measures of health functioning that cover the three domains of affective, cognitive, and physical functioning. METHODS: Baseline data from the French CONSTANCES cohort study were used with a sample of 24,327 employed men and women aged 45-60. Psychosocial work environment was measured by the short version of the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) questionnaire. Measures of health functioning were depressive symptoms, semantic fluency, verbal memory, walking speed, standing balance and lung function. RESULTS: First, we replicated main psychometric properties of the ERI questionnaire in the French cohort. Second, ERI scales revealed consistent associations with depressive symptoms, but less consistent links to cognitive and physical function. Among men, we observed an association of stressful work with reduced lung function. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated consistent associations of stressful work in terms of effort-reward imbalance with affective functioning in a large sample of male and female employees. Relationships with physical functioning were less consistent and restricted to men, and cognitive functioning was only marginally associated with stressful work. We also established the psychometric properties of the French short version of the ERI questionnaire, thus offering a tool for guiding and harmonizing further research in this field.
Authors: Hanno Hoven; Morten Wahrendorf; Marcel Goldberg; Marie Zins; Johannes Siegrist Journal: Eur J Public Health Date: 2021-12-01 Impact factor: 3.367