Scandinavian journal of public health
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Scand J Public Health · Jan 2003
Duration of employment is not a predictor of disability of cleaners: a longitudinal study.
Cleaning is a high-risk occupation for developing musculoskeletal disorders. Sickness absence is twice as high as in other occupations. Disability pensions for musculoskeletal disorders are twice as high in cleaners as in other employed women. However, a result from Norwegian and Danish studies shows that female cleaners do not report higher morbidity of musculoskeletal disorders than other women. The objective was to analyse whether female cleaners have a higher risk of obtaining a disability pension than women in other unskilled occupations and whether the length of employment influences the risk. ⋯ The cleaning occupation has high disability rates compared with other unskilled occupations. A contribution factor to these high rates is a selection of women with poor health into the occupation.
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Scand J Public Health · Jan 2003
Diagnosis and duration of sickness absence as predictors for disability pension: results from a three-year, multi-register based* and prospective study.
A study was undertaken to identify predictors for the transition from long-term sickness absence into disability pension with special emphasis on routinely collected medical information (e.g. diagnoses on sickness certificates) and the duration of sickness-absence spells. ⋯ Several risk factors for transition from long-term sickness absence into disability pension were identified. The finding that spells of sickness absence with duration up to seven months did not imply increased risk of disability during the first three years may have implications for interventions aimed at long-term sickness absentees.
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"Avoidable" mortality, that is mortality from conditions amenable to healthcare intervention, is commonly studied as an indicator of the outcome of healthcare. The objective of this study was to analyse gender equity in avoidable mortality trends in Sweden from 1971 to 1996. ⋯ The avoidable mortality method seems to be useful in continuous epidemiological surveillance of the equity in healthcare. The comparatively low gender differences for avoidable death indicators as well as the decrease in these differences indicate decreasing gender inequity in health.
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Scand J Public Health · Jan 2003
Do changes in the psychosocial school environment influence pupils' health development? Results from a three-year follow-up study.
This study analysed the effects of psychosocial factors at school on pupils' health and self-worth from a longitudinal perspective. ⋯ The negative development in pupils' health and self-worth could partly be explained by the more unfavourable psychosocial environment that prevails at school at the senior level. The public health implications of our study can be summarized as the need for schools to improve pupils' social situation at school in relation to their work situation as well as to pay special attention to the school situation of girls at senior level.
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Scand J Public Health · Jan 2002
Organizational fairness and psychological distress in hospital physicians.
Prior research has reported high levels of stress for physicians, but determinants of this stress are poorly understood. We explored whether problems in decision-making procedures and treatment of employees, as expressed in the theory of organizational fairness, may contribute to psychological distress in hospital physicians. ⋯ These findings suggest that broadening the view from the traditional psychosocial work characteristics to justice in management may assist in efforts to promote physicians' health and well-being.