Documents Hemingway, Harry 2 results

"OBJECTIVES
To study the association between organisational downsizing and subsequent musculoskeletal problems in employees and to determine the association with changes in psychosocial and behavioural risk factors.
METHODS
Participants were 764 municipal employees working in Raisio, Finland before and after an organisational downsizing carried out between 1991 and 1993. The outcome measures were self reports of severity and sites of musculoskeletal pain at the end of 1993 and medically certified musculoskeletal sickness absence for 1993–5. The contribution of changes in psychosocial work characteristics and health related behaviour between the 1990 and 1993 surveys was assessed by adjustment.
RESULTS
After adjustment for age, sex, and income, the odds ratio (OR) for severe musculoskeletal pain between major and minor downsizing and the corresponding rate ratios for musculoskeletal sickness absence were 2.59 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.5 to 4.5) and 5.50 (3.6 to 7.6), respectively. Differences between the mean number of sites of pain after major and minor downsizing was 0.99 (0.4 to 1.6). The largest contribution from changes in work characteristics and health related behaviour to the association between downsizing and musculoskeletal problems was from increases in physical demands, particularly in women and low income employees. Additional contributory factors were reduction of skill discretion (relative to musculoskeletal pain) and job insecurity. The results were little different when analyses were confined to initially healthy participants.
CONCLUSIONS
Downsizing is a risk factor for musculoskeletal problems among those who remain in employment. Much of this risk is attributable to increased physical demands, but adverse changes in other psychosocial factors may also play a part."

"Background: High job strain has been linked with cardiovascular outcomes. This study aimed to examine whether job strain is associated with angina pectoris symptoms among British and Finnish non-manual employees. Methods: Postal questionnaire survey data among 40–60-year-old employees of the British Whitehall II Study (n?=?4551, 27% women) and the Finnish Helsinki Health Study (n?=?7605, 83% women) cohort were analysed. Angina pectoris symptoms were the outcome in logistic regression analysis. Karasek's job strain was examined. Models were adjusted first for age, second for occupational class and finally for smoking, heavy drinking, physical inactivity, unhealthy food habits and obesity. Results: Angina pectoris symptoms were reported by 5% of women and 3% of men in Britain, and by 6% of women and 4% of men in Finland. High job strain was associated with angina pectoris symptoms among men in Britain (OR 2.08; CI 95% 1.07 to 4.02) and women in Finland (OR 1.90; CI 95% 1.36 to 2.63) independent of age, occupational class, and behavioural risk factors. However, similar associations between job strain and angina pectoris symptoms were not observed among men in Finland or women in Britain. Conclusion: The results yielded partial support for the association between job strain and angina pectoris symptoms across national contexts."