Work-family conflicts and sickness absence-a register-linked cohort study among young and early midlife employees.

BACKGROUND: Work-family conflicts (WFC) have been associated with poor mental health, poor self-rated health and sickness absence. However, studies on short sickness absence are lacking and more information is needed also about long sickness absence regarding the direction of WFC, and potential explaining factors particularly among young and early middle-aged employees. METHODS: The Helsinki Health Study baseline survey (2017) among 19- to 39-year-old municipal employees (N = 3683, 80% women, response rate 51.5%) was linked to employer's sickness absence data. The associations of work-to-family conflicts (WTFC) and family-to-work conflicts (FTWC) with short (1-7 days) and long (over 7 days) sickness absence were analyzed using negative binomial regression analysis. Covariates were age, gender, family-related factors and work-related factors. Stratified analyses by occupational class were performed. The results are presented as rate ratios and their 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: High WTFC were associated with short (1.25, 1.12-1.40) and long (1.37, 1.11-1.70) sickness absence. High FTWC were also associated with short (1.12, 1.03-1.22) and long (1.24, 1.06-1.45) sickness absence. Adjustment for family-related factors strengthened the associations, whereas adjustment for work-related factors abolished the associations between WTFC and sickness absence. Associations between WFC and sickness absence were observed among two lowest occupational classes only. CONCLUSION: WFC are associated with both short and long sickness absence. Work-related factors including the quality of supervisory work and shift work play a role in the association. Intervention studies could determine if improvements in combining work and family life lead to a reduction in sickness absence.

Dual trajectories of short-term and long-term sickness absence and their social- and health-related determinants among women in the public sector.

BACKGROUND: Short- and long-term sickness absence (SA) vary in their determinants. We examined short- and long-term SA contemporaneously as two interconnected phenomena to characterize their temporal development, and to identify employees with increasing SA at an early stage. METHODS: We extracted 46- to 55-year-old employed women from the Helsinki Health Study occupational cohort during 2000-17 (N = 3206) and examined the development of short- (1-14 days) and long-term (>14 days) SA using group-based dual trajectory modelling. In addition, we investigated the associations of social-, work- and health-related factors with trajectory group membership. RESULTS: For short-term SA, we selected a three-group solution: 'no short-term SA' (50%), 'low frequency short-term SA' (40%), and 'high frequency short-term SA' (10%) (7 spells/year). For long-term SA, we also selected three trajectory groups: 'no long-term SA' (65%), 'low long-term SA' (27%), and 'high long-term SA' (8%). No SA in the short-term SA model, indicated a high probability of no SA in the long-term model and vice versa. The developmental pattern was far less certain if participant was assigned to a trajectory of high SA in either one of the models (short- or long-term SA model). Low occupational class and poor health behaviours were associated with the trajectory groups with more SA. CONCLUSION: SA does not increase with age among most employees. If either SA rate was high, the developmental patterns were heterogenous. Employers' attention to health behaviours might aid in reducing both short- and long-term SA.

Long-term sickness absence trajectories among ageing municipal employees - the contribution of social and health-related factors.

BACKGROUND: The ageing work force is heterogeneous, following distinct development in work ability. This study aims to identify trajectories of long-term sickness absence (SA) in later careers and to examine potentially modifiable factors associated with the development of SA. METHODS: Data comprised of municipal employees of the city of Helsinki aged 50-60 years during 2004-2018 (N = 4729, 80% women). The developmental trajectories of long-term (> 10 working days) SA were examined with Group-based trajectory modelling (GBTM) using SA records of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland during 2004-2018. All-cause and diagnosis-specific (mental disorder- and musculoskeletal disease-related) SA days were analysed. The association of social and health-related factors with trajectory membership was examined using multinomial logistic regression (odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals). RESULTS: A model with three trajectories was selected for both all-cause and diagnosis-specific SA. Regarding all-cause long-term SA trajectories, 42% had no long-term SA, 46% had low levels of SA, and 12% had a high rate of SA during follow-up. Lower occupational class, reporting smoking, overweight or obesity, moderate or low leisure-time physical activity, and sleep problems were associated with a higher likelihood of belonging to the trajectory with a high rate of SA in both all-cause and diagnosis-specific models. CONCLUSIONS: Most ageing employees have no or little long-term SA. Modifiable factors associated with trajectories with more SA could be targeted when designing and timing interventions in occupational healthcare.

Changes in occupational class differences in leisure-time physical activity and the contribution of retirement.

Occupational class differences in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) are well recognized. Less is known about how these differences develop as individuals age, and how retirement is associated with this change. We investigated how occupational class differences in LTPA change in a cohort over a 15-17 years follow-up. We further examined, how the transition into mandatory or disability retirement contributed to the change in LTPA levels and occupational class differences. We used the data from the Helsinki Health Study surveying the aging City of Helsinki employees. In all, 8773 individuals were included in the analyses. We evaluated LTPA levels using weekly metabolic equivalent task (MET) hours and used generalized linear mixed effect models (GLMM) to estimate the development of LTPA levels. Commuting was included in the LTPA measure. Occupational class differences in LTPA emerged and widened during the follow-up. The physical activity levels decreased in the lower occupational class and slightly increased in the higher occupational class, resulting in a difference of 4.3 MET-hours at the end of follow-up, accounting for 50 min of brisk walking per week. The occupational class differences emerged during transition into mandatory retirement and persisted after this. Transition into disability retirement temporarily widened the occupational class differences in LTPA levels, but the differences diminished during the follow-up. Research on interventions to counteract the declining LTPA is needed to discover ways to prevent the widening of occupational health disparities during aging. The transition into old-age retirement could be an optimal period for focusing these interventions.

Life-course socioeconomic circumstances in acute, chronic and disabling pain among young employees: a double suffering.

BACKGROUND: Pain is known to be socioeconomically patterned and associated with disability. However, knowledge is scarce concerning life-course socioeconomic circumstances and pain among young adults. Our aim was to examine the associations of childhood and current socioeconomic circumstances with acute pain and chronic pain with low and high disability levels among young Finnish municipal employees. METHODS: We analysed questionnaire data retrieved from the Young Helsinki Health Study (n=4683) covering 18-39-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland. We included multiple indicators of childhood and current socioeconomic circumstances and examined their associations with acute pain and with chronic pain with low and high disability levels. The level of chronic pain-related disability was assessed by the chronic pain grade questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted with stepwise adjustments for sociodemographic, socioeconomic and health-related covariates. RESULTS: Childhood and current socioeconomic disadvantage were associated with acute and chronic pain, particularly with chronic pain with high disability level. The strongest associations after adjustments for covariates remained between chronic pain with high disability level and low educational level (odds ratio (OR) 3.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.18-5.24), manual occupation (OR 3.75, 95% CI 1.92-7.34) and experiencing frequent economic difficulties (OR 3.07, 95% CI 2.00-4.70). CONCLUSIONS: Pain is a common complaint that contributes to disability among young employees, particularly the most socioeconomically vulnerable. There is a socioeconomic gradient in both pain chronicity and the level of chronic pain-related disability. Life-course socioeconomic factors should be considered in pain-preventing strategies and in clinical practice.

Associations between low parental education, childhood adversities and sickness absence in midlife public sector employees.

AIMS: Parental education and childhood adversities are associated with long-term work disability but their contribution to sickness absence is largely unknown. We aimed to examine the associations between parental education, childhood adversities and self-certified and medically-certified sickness absence among midlife employees. METHODS: The Helsinki Health Study baseline survey data (2000-2002) of 40-to-60-year-old municipal employees were linked with sickness absence data from the employer's register. Self-certified (1-3 days) and medically-certified (>3 days) sickness absence spells were followed from 2003 until the end of 2008. The study included 5728 employees. The analyses were made by Poisson regression and the results are presented as rate ratios (RRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Low maternal education was associated with self-certified sickness absence (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.13-1.55) among women only whereas both low maternal (1.49, 1.26-1.77) and low paternal education (1.48, 1.32-1.67) were associated with medically-certified sickness absence. Adjustment for own occupational class mainly abolished these associations. Having experienced any childhood adversity was associated with self-certified (1.18, 1.12-1.25) and medically-certified (1.22, 1.15-1.30) sickness absence. In addition, childhood economic difficulties, childhood illness, parental divorce, parental mental illness, parental alcohol problems and bullying were each associated both with self-certified and with medically-certified sickness absence. The associations mainly remained after adjustments for occupational class, marital status, working condition, body mass index and health behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: Low parental education and childhood adversities contributed to midlife sickness absence. Promoting well-being of families with children might help sustain adult work ability and prevent sickness absence still in midlife.

Joint association of socioeconomic circumstances and minor mental health problems with antidepressant medication.

BACKGROUND: Disadvantageous socioeconomic circumstances and minor mental health problems have both been associated with mental disorders, such as depression, but their joint contribution remains unknown. METHODS: The Helsinki Health Study baseline survey (2000-02) of 40- to 60-year-old employees was linked with antidepressant medication data from registers of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. The analyses were made using logistic regression with first prescribed antidepressant medication purchase during a 10-year follow-up as the outcome. Minor mental health problems were measured by the emotional well-being scale of the RAND-36. Odds ratios were calculated for joint association of the lowest quartile of the emotional well-being scale of the RAND-36 and socioeconomic circumstances. Childhood (parental education and childhood economic difficulties), conventional (education, occupational class and income) and material (housing tenure and current economic difficulties) socioeconomic circumstances were examined. This study included 5450 participants. RESULTS: Minor mental health problems dominated the joint associations. Minor mental health problems were associated with antidepressant medication irrespective of socioeconomic circumstances whereas only low income, current economic difficulties and living in rented housing showed an association without minor mental health problems at baseline. Marital status, working conditions and BMI and health behaviours had only minimal contributions to the associations. CONCLUSIONS: Minor mental health problems were consistently and strongly associated with antidepressant medication and dominated the joint associations with socioeconomic circumstances. Paying attention to minor mental health problems might help prevent mental disorders such as depression.

Contributions of childhood adversities to chronic pain among mid-life employees.

Aims: Chronic pain is a notable burden on public health, with past and present factors contributing to it. This study aimed to examine the associations between childhood adversities and chronic pain. Methods: Data on seven childhood adversities, chronic pain and disabling pain were derived from questionnaire surveys conducted in 2000, 2001 and 2002 among 40- to 60-year-old employees (response rate of 67%) of the City of Helsinki, Finland. The study included 8140 employees (80% women). Logistic regression was used in the analyses, and the results are presented as odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). Age, sex, the father's education, the participant's education, marital status, working conditions, sleep problems and common mental disorders were included as covariates. Results: In the age-adjusted models, childhood economic difficulties (OR=1.60, 95% CI 1.41-1.81), childhood illness (OR=1.74, 95% CI 1.45-2.08), parental divorce (OR=1.26, 95% CI 1.07-1.48), parental alcohol problems (OR=1.34, 95% CI 1.18-1.52) and bullying at school or among peers (OR=1.59, 95% CI 1.37-1.89) were associated with chronic pain. Working conditions, sleep problems and common mental disorders each slightly attenuated the associations between childhood adversities and chronic pain. Childhood economic difficulties among women (OR=1.72, 95% CI 1.40-2.10), childhood illness (OR=1.40, 95% CI 1.07-1.82) and bullying at school or by peers (OR=1.91 95% CI 1.48-2.46) were also associated with disabling pain. Conclusions: Childhood adversities were associated with chronic pain in mid-life, and the associations mainly remained after adjustments. Investing in the well-being of children might prevent pain and promote well-being in mid-life.

Multiple Socioeconomic Circumstances and Initiation of Cardiovascular Medication among Ageing Employees.

There are persisting socioeconomic differences in cardiovascular diseases, but studies on socioeconomic differences in the initiation of cardiovascular medication are scarce. This study examined the associations between multiple socioeconomic circumstances and cardiovascular medication. The Helsinki Health Study baseline survey (2000-2002) of 40-60-year-old employees was linked with cardiovascular medication data from national registers. The analyses included 5805 employees concerning lipid medication and 4872 employees concerning hypertension medication. Medication purchases were followed for 10 years. The analyses were made using logistic regression, and the odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for childhood, conventional and material socioeconomic circumstances. Low parental education showed an association with lipid medication among women only (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.11-1.61), whereas childhood economic difficulties showed more widespread associations. Low education and occupational class were associated with an increased risk of both hypertension (education: OR 1.58, 1.32-1.89; occupational class: 1.31, 1.08-1.59) and lipid medication (education: 1.34, 1.12-1.61; occupational class: 1.38, 1.13-1.67). Rented housing (1.35, 1.18-1.54 for hypertension medication; 1.21, 1.05-1.38 for lipid medication) and current economic difficulties (1.59, 1.28-1.98 for hypertension medication; 1.35, 1.07-1.71 for lipid medication) increased the risk. Several measures of socioeconomic circumstances acting at different stages of the life course were associated with cardiovascular medication, with individuals in disadvantageous socioeconomic circumstances having elevated risks.

A longitudinal study of changes in interactional justice and subsequent short-term sickness absence among municipal employees.

Objectives Level of perceived interactional justice has been shown to be associated with sickness absence, but less is known about the effects of changes in interactional justice. It is also unknown to what extent unmeasured, time-invariant differences contribute to the association. We investigated the association between interactional justice changes and subsequent short-term (1-3 days) sickness absences over a 12-year follow-up using between- and within-individual modeling among ageing municipal employees. Methods The data was derived from Helsinki Health Study cohort with baseline survey in 2000-2002 (N=8960, response rate 67%) and follow-up surveys in 2007 and 2012 (response rates 79% and 83%, respectively). At baseline, participants were 40-60-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland. Sickness absences from the employer's registry were linked with the responses (78%). The analytic sample was 2109 and 2070 individuals for between-individual and 4433 individuals and 8425 observations for within-individual associations. Results Negative change in interactional justice was associated with an increased risk of short-term sickness absence in between-individual models after adjusting for age and gender. Adjustment for sickness absence history attenuated the association. In within-individual models, a negative change in perceived interactional justice was associated with an increased risk of short-term sickness absence spells [incidence rate ratios (IRR) 1.05 (95% confidence interval 1.01-1.09)]. This association was robust to adjustments for gender, age, health behaviors and sickness absence history. Conclusions Paying attention to management principles - especially managerial behavior and treatment of employees to avoid the deterioration of the level of interactional justice - may provide a way of reducing self-certified short-term sickness absence spells.

Childhood adversities, parental education and disability retirement among Finnish municipal employees.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that childhood socioeconomic position and childhood adversities influence adult health. However, the potential contribution of these factors to disability retirement is poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the associations between childhood adversities, parental education and disability retirement. METHODS: Data on parental education and childhood adversities were derived from the Helsinki Health Study baseline survey, conducted in 2000-02 among 40- to 60-year old employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland. Data on disability retirement and their diagnoses were obtained from the Finnish Centre of Pensions and followed until the end of 2016. The analyses included 5992 employees. The associations of parental education and childhood adversities with disability retirement due to any cause, musculoskeletal diseases and mental disorders were analysed using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Low parental education was associated with an increased risk of disability retirement due to any cause (maternal education: HR 1.74, 95% CI 1.16-2.62; paternal education: 1.86, 1.38-2.51) and due to musculoskeletal diseases (maternal education: 4.44, 1.66-11.92; paternal education: 3.81, 2.02-7.17). However, adjustment for own education mainly abolished the associations. Economic difficulties in the childhood family, parental alcohol problems and having been bullied at school or by peers increased the risk of disability retirement due to all studied diagnostic groups, whereas parental death or divorce had no effect. Childhood illness (1.53, 1.20-1.95) and parental mental illness (1.68, 1.28-2.20) were associated with disability retirement due to any cause and due to mental disorders (1.65, 1.05-2.59; 3.60, 2.46-5.26). The associations between childhood adversities and disability retirement remained after adjustment for own education, whereas working conditions, and weight and health behaviours somewhat attenuated the associations. CONCLUSIONS: Parental education and childhood adversities contributed to disability retirement even in midlife. Policy actions investing in children's well-being might promote work ability in midlife.

Occupational class inequalities in disability retirement after hospitalisation.

AIMS: This study aimed to investigate whether hospitalisation is associated with increased risk of disability retirement differently across four occupational classes. METHODS: 170,510 employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland were followed from 1990 to 2013 using national registers for hospitalisations and disability retirement. Increases in the risk of disability retirement after hospitalisation for any cause, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, mental disorders, malignant neoplasms, respiratory diseases and injuries were assessed across four occupational classes: professional, semi-professional, routine non-manual and manual, using competing risks models. RESULTS: In general, hospitalisation showed a slightly more increased risk of disability retirement in the lower ranking occupational classes. Hospitalisation among women for mental disorders showed a more increased risk in the professional class (hazard ratio 14.73, 95% confidence interval 12.67 to 17.12) compared to the routine manual class (hazard ratio 7.27, 95% confidence interval 6.60 to 8.02). Occupational class differences were similar for men and women. The risk of disability retirement among women increased most in the routine non-manual class after hospitalisation for musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, and most in the professional class after hospitalisation for cardiovascular diseases. The corresponding risks among men increased most in the two lowest ranking classes after hospitalisation for injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Ill-health as measured by hospitalisation affected disability retirement in four occupational classes differently, and the effects also varied by the diagnostic group of hospitalisation. Interventions that tackle work disability should consider the impact of ill-health on functioning while taking into account working conditions in each occupational class.

The association between alcohol drinking and self-reported mental and physical functioning: a prospective cohort study among City of Helsinki employees.

OBJECTIVES: Alcohol drinking is associated with ill health but less is known about its contribution to overall functioning. We aimed to examine whether alcohol drinking predicts self-reported mental and physical functioning 5-7 years later. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTING: Helsinki, Finland. PARTICIPANTS: 40-year-old to 60-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki (5301 women and 1230 men) who participated in a postal survey in 2000-2002 and a follow-up survey in 2007. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Mental and physical functioning measured by the Short Form 36 Health Survey. RESULTS: Alcohol drinking was differently associated with mental and physical functioning. Heavy average drinking, binge drinking and problem drinking were all associated with subsequent poor mental functioning except for heavy average drinking among men, whereas only problem drinking was associated with poor physical functioning. Also, non-drinking was associated with poor physical functioning. Problem drinking was the drinking habit showing most widespread and strongest associations with health functioning. The associations between problem drinking and poor mental functioning and with poor physical functioning among women remained after adjusting for baseline mental functioning, sociodemographic factors, working conditions and other health behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol drinking is associated especially with poor mental functioning. Problem drinking was the drinking habit strongest associated with poor health functioning. The results call for early recognition and prevention of alcohol problems in order to improve health functioning among employees.

Changes in alcohol drinking and subsequent sickness absence.

AIMS: The aim was to examine whether changes in alcohol drinking are associated with sickness absence. METHODS: Repeated postal questionnaires on alcohol drinking were conducted among employees of the City of Helsinki in 2000-2 and 2007 to assess changes in drinking habits between these two time points. Data on the number of self-certified and medically confirmed sickness absences were derived from the employer's register. Sickness absences were followed from 2007 until the end of 2010 among employees participating in both questionnaire surveys. The study includes 3252 female and 682 male employees 40-60 years old at baseline. Poisson regression was used in the data analysis and population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated. RESULTS: Alcohol drinking was associated especially with self-certified sickness absence. Rate ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for increasing weekly average drinking were 1.38, 1.18-1.62 among women and 1.58, 1.18-2.12 among men. Also stable problem drinking (for women 1.39, 1.26-1.54, for men 1.44, 1.10-1.87) and among women stable heavy drinking (1.53, 1.20-1.94) increased self-certified sickness absence. There were associations between alcohol drinking and medically confirmed sickness absence but these were mainly explained by health and health behaviours. Also, a decrease in weekly average drinking was associated with sickness absence among women whereas among men former problem drinking increased sickness absence. According to the PAF values, problem drinking had a stronger contribution to sickness absence than weekly average drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol drinking is particularly associated with self-certified sickness absence. Reducing adverse drinking habits is likely to prevent sickness absence.

Drinking habits and disability retirement.

AIMS: To examine associations between drinking habits and disability retirement, and to determine whether the associations differ between all-cause disability retirement and the main causes of disability retirement, i.e. musculoskeletal diseases and mental disorders. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study with a mean follow-up time of 8 years. SETTING: Middle-aged employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 6275 municipal employees (78% women) who were 40-60 years old at baseline. MEASUREMENTS: Data on drinking habits, i.e. quantity and frequency of drinking, binge drinking and problem drinking, were derived from the baseline questionnaire. The data on disability retirement and its diagnoses came from the Finnish Centre for Pensions. The analyses were made using Cox regression analysis. FINDINGS: Heavy average and frequent drinking were not associated with all-cause disability retirement, but increased the risk of disability retirement due to mental disorders even after adjusting for all covariates [hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) 2.54 (1.26-5.12) and 2.10 (1.23-3.61), respectively]. Binge and problem drinking were both associated with all-cause disability retirement in the base models adjusted for age, gender and marital status. Problem drinking more than doubled the risk of disability retirement due to mental disorders even after all adjustments (HR 2.17, CI 1.53-3.08). Non-drinkers had an increased risk for disability retirement due to all mental and musculoskeletal diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: Adverse drinking habits may contribute to disability retirement among the middle-aged working population. Tackling unhealthy drinking habits may lessen the likelihood of early retirement due to poor mental health.

Drinking habits and sickness absence: the contribution of working conditions.

AIMS: The main aim was to examine whether drinking habits including average, binge and problem drinking are associated with self-certified and medically confirmed sickness absence among middle-aged municipal employees. Another aim was to examine whether psychosocial and physical working conditions and work arrangements explain these associations. METHODS: The data on drinking habits and working conditions of 5,119 female and 1,390 male middle-aged employees of the City of Helsinki was obtained from postal questionnaires collected in 2000-2002. The data on sickness absence (2000-2005) were derived from the employer's registers. Poisson regression analysis with self-certified (1-3 days) and medically confirmed (over 3 days) sickness absence spells as outcomes was used in performing the analyses. RESULTS: Heavy average, binge and problem drinking were all associated with an increase in self-certified sickness absence. Both non-drinkers and heavy drinkers had excess medically confirmed sickness absence compared to moderate drinkers. Problem drinking and among women also binge drinking were associated with medically confirmed sickness absence. Psychosocial working conditions slightly attenuated the association of drinking habits and sickness absence mainly among men. Physical working conditions and work arrangements slightly explained medically confirmed sickness absence among male problem drinkers. CONCLUSIONS: All studied drinking habits were associated with both self-certified and medically confirmed sickness absence. Thus, a decrease in unhealthy drinking habits among employees is likely to prevent sickness absence. The effects of working conditions were small but psychosocial working conditions slightly explained the associations between drinking habits and sickness absence mainly among men.