Journal Article

Work-related stress and future sick leave in a working population seeking care at primary health care centres: a prospective longitudinal study using the WSQ

Hultén, Anna-Maria, Holmgren, Kristina, Bjerkeli, Pernilla

2022

Overview

Background Studying the relationship between work-related stress and sick leave is valuable in identifying and assessing employees at risk of sick leave, but also in developing interventions and taking actions for workers’ health. The overall aim of this study was to analyse the association between work-related stress, measured with the work stress questionnaire (WSQ), and registered sick leave in a working population seeking care at primary health care centres in Sweden. Methods A prospective longitudinal study was performed with 232 employed patients aged 18–64 years seeking care for mental and/or physical health complaints at seven primary health care centres. Bivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for educational level, occupational class and marital status was performed using questionnaire data on work-related stress and sociodemographic factors collected between May 2015 until January 2016 together with registered sick leave data from a national database. Results High stress due to indistinct organization and conflicts was reported by 21% ( n  = 49), while 45% ( n  = 105) reported high stress due to individual demands and commitment. Thirty-six percent were on sick leave for 15 days or more during 12 months after baseline. The odds of being on registered sick leave during this period was approximately twice as high for patients perceiving high stress due to indistinct organization and conflicts (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.18;4.26), high stress due to individual demands and commitment (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.28;3.82), low influence at work (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.20;3.57), or high interference between work and leisure time (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.27;3.80). Perceiving high stress due to both indistinct organization and conflicts as well as individual demands and commitment quadrupled the odds of sick leave, OR 4.15 (95% CI 1.84; 9.38). Conclusions Work-related stress and sick leave were prevalent among the patients. Perceiving one or more of the work-related stressors and stress increased the odds of registered sick leave between two to four times. Hence, to capture the dynamic interaction between the individual and the work environment, a wide spectrum of factors must be considered. In addition, primary health care could be a suitable arena for preventing sick leave due to work-related stress. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov. Identifier: NCT02480855 . Registered 20 May 2015.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: absence / absenteeism / adult / Arbetsmedicin och miljömedicin / association / Biostatistics / Bivariate analysis / controlled study / disease / educational status / effort-reward imbalance / Employee benefits / engagement / Environmental & Occupational Health / Environmental Health / Epidemiology / female / Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa och socialmedicin / Gender / health / Health aspects / Health care / human / Humans / individuals / Insurance agencies / job demands / Job stress / Labor market / Longitudinal Studies / longitudinal study / major clinical study / male / Management / marriage / Medborgarcentrerad hälsa (Mech) / medical leave / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / multicenter study / Occupational health / Occupational Health and Environmental Health / Occupational health and safety / Occupational stress / Occupational Stress - epidemiology / Organisational climate / organizational climate / outcomes / Patients / Population / Prevention / Primary care / Primary Health Care / Prospective Studies / prospective study / Psychosocial risk factors / Public / Public Health / Public Health, Global Health and Social Medicine / questionnaire / Questionnaire (WSQ) / Questionnaires / Regression analysis / Research on Citizen Centered Health, University of Skövde (Reacch US) / risk factor / Risk factors / Services / Sick Leave / Sickness absence / Sociodemographics / Stress / Surveys and Questionnaires / Sweden / Vaccine / women / Womens health / Work commitment / work environment / Work Stress / Work Stress Questionnaire (WSQ) / worker / Workers' health / Working conditions / young adult