The dimensional structure of the functional abilities in cases of long-term sickness absence.

BACKGROUND: The health problems that working people suffer can affect their functional abilities and, consequently, can cause a mismatch between those abilities and the demands of the work, leading to sickness absence. A lasting decrease in functional abilities can lead to long-term sickness absence and work disability, with negative consequences for both the worker and the larger society. The objective of this study was to identify common disability characteristics among large groups of long-term sick-listed and disabled employees. METHODS: As part of the disability benefit entitlement procedure in the Netherlands, an insurance physician assesses the functional abilities of the claimant in a standardised form, known as the List of Functional Abilities (LFA), which consists of six sections containing a total of 106 items. For the purposes of this study, we compiled data from 50,931 assessments. These data were used in an exploratory factor analyses, and the results were then used to construct scales. The stability of dimensional structure of the LFA and of the internal consistency of the scales was studied using data from 80,968 assessments carried out earlier, under a slightly different legislation. RESULTS: Three separate factor analyses carried out on the functional abilities of five sections of the LFA resulted in 14 scale variables, and one extra scale variable was based on the items from the sixth section. The resulting scale variables showed Cronbach's Alphas ranging from 0.59 to 0.97, with the exception of one of 0.54. The dimensional structure of the LFA in the verification population differed in some aspects. The Cronbach's Alphas of the verification population ranged from 0.58 to 0.97, again with the exception of the same scale: Alpha = 0.49. CONCLUSION: The differences between the dimensional structures of the primary data and the earlier data we found in this study restrict the possibilities to generalise the results. The scales we constructed can be utilised to produce a compact description of the functional abilities of groups of claimants in the Netherlands. Moreover, the matching work demands can be used to identify jobs low on those demands as being the most accessible for the specific type of disabled employees, particularly severely disabled individuals.

Stressful work, psychological job strain, and turnover: a 2-year prospective cohort study of truck drivers.

Based on a model that combines existing organizational stress theory and job transition theory, this 2-year longitudinal study examined antecedents and consequences of turnover among Dutch truck drivers. For this purpose, self-reported data on stressful work (job demands and control), psychological strain (need for recovery after work and fatigue), and turnover were obtained from 820 drivers in 1998 and 2000. In agreement with the model, the results showed that strain mediates the influence of stressful work on voluntary turnover. Also in conformity with the model, job movement to any job outside the trucking industry (i.e., interoccupational turnover) resulted in a larger strain reduction as compared to job movement within the trucking industry (intraoccupational turnover). Finally, strain was found to stimulate interoccupational turnover more strongly than it stimulated intraoccupational turnover. These findings provide a thorough validation of existing turnover theory and give new insights into the turnover (decision) process.

Information technology and road transport industry: how does IT affect the lorry driver?

A quasi-experimental design was used to study the effect of on board computer-systems (OBC-systems) on the Dutch lorry drivers' psychosocial work environment (i.e., control and demands) and coinciding mental health (i.e., need for recovery after work) and job attitudes (i.e., organisational commitment). The intervention group (n = 26) started working with an OBC-system between 1998 and 2000 and was compared with two matched reference groups (n = 26 in both groups). All participants were from a cohort of 650 drivers who participated in a prospective study on occupational stress and health. All outcome variables were quantified by standardised and validated questionnaires. Results showed that the application of OBC-systems negatively affected the drivers' job control and organisational commitment. However, OBC-systems did not influence the drivers' psychological job demands and need for recovery after work. Accordingly, it is concluded that the application of OBC-systems negatively affects the lorry driver's psychosocial work environment and job attitudes.