Workplace Social Capital as Buffer for Emotional Demands and Perceived Stress in Symphony Orchestras: A Danish Cross-Sectional Survey.

INTRODUCTION: High workplace social capital (WSC) is associated with improved occupational health in the common occupational areas. However, little is known on WSC and its effect on the emotional demands and stress seen in the work of classical symphonic musicians. AIM: To investigate whether WSC moderates the associations between emotional demands and stress in the professional musicians working in Danish symphony orchestras. METHODS: This cross-sectional study builds on existing data collected on a sample of 341 Danish classical symphonic musicians. An interaction model based on multiple regression with bias corrected boot-strapping was used to assess the moderating effect of low, medium and high levels of WSC on the association between emotional demands and perceived stress. RESULTS: WSC had a significant moderating effect on the association between emotional demands and perceived stress: b = -0.01, t(212) = -2.40, p = 0.018. At low levels of WSC the effect of emotional demands on stress was strongest, declining at higher levels of WSC in a dose response pattern: low-WSC, b = 0.23, t(212) 3.20, p = 0.002, medium-WSC, b = 0.11, t(212) = 2.40, p = 0.017, and high-WSC, b = 0.04, t(212) = 0.75, p = 0.455. CONCLUSION: The study indicates a buffering effect of WSC on the association between emotional demands and stress in the work of orchestra musicians. Thus, enhancement of WSC could be a potential stress-preventing strategy in symphony orchestras and should be investigated in future studies on musicians' mental health.

Masculinising testosterone treatment and effects on preclinical cardiovascular disease, muscle strength and power, aggression, physical fitness and respiratory function in transgender men: protocol for a 10-year, prospective, observational cohort study in Denmark at the Body Identity Clinic (BIC).

INTRODUCTION: The number of individuals with gender dysphoria seeking gender-affirming treatment is increasing. The short-term and long-term effects of masculinising treatment with testosterone are debated as serum testosterone increases up to 20-fold compared with cisgender women. We will investigate short-term and long-term effects of masculinising testosterone treatment on preclinical and clinical coronary disease, muscle strength and power, oxygen consumption (VO2) max, cardiac and respiratory function and quality of life including aggression in transgender men. METHODS AND ANALYSES: Prospective, single-centre, observational cohort study at the Body Identity Clinic (BIC), Odense University Hospital, Denmark. Investigations are performed at inclusion and following 1, 3, 5 and 10 years of testosterone therapy. Non-calcified coronary plaque volume and calcium score are estimated by coronary CT angiography. CT is only performed at inclusion and following 1 and 10 years. Upper body muscle strength and power are measured by a 'low row' weight stack resisted exercise machine. Evaluation of aggression and quality of life is assessed by questionnaires, VO2 max is estimated by maximal testing on bike ergometer, and cardiac and respiratory functions are measured by echocardiography and spirometry, respectively. Markers of cardiovascular risk and inflammation and also cortisol and cortisone are assessed in blood, diurnal urine and/or hair samples. Our cohort (BIC), including dropouts, will be an embedded subcohort in a future national registry study in all individuals with gender dysphoria and controls. Data are available on International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th version diagnostic codes, prescriptions, socioeconomics and causes of death. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The Regional Committee on Health Research Ethics for Southern Denmark (S-20190108) and the Danish Data Protection Agency (19/27572) approved the study. Signed informed consent will be obtained from all participants. All findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals or at scientific conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04254354.