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| 2. |
- Aboagye, Emmanuel, et al.
(författare)
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Exhaustion and Impaired Work Performance in the Workplace : Associations With Presenteeism and Absenteeism
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - : Wolters Kluwer. - 1076-2752 .- 1536-5948. ; 61:11, s. 438-444
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between presenteeism and absenteeism during the previous year and the current levels of exhaustion and impaired work performance in a Swedish university setting.Methods: In a study of 3525 employees, an ordinal logistic regression and general linear model was used to examine the association between presenteeism and absenteeism during the previous year and the current exhaustion and impaired work performance, respectively.Results: Presenteeism, but not absenteeism, during the previous year independently increased the risk of having moderate or severe exhaustion. Presenteeism, absenteeism, and exhaustion remained positively associated with impaired work performance when health status and other confounders had been adjusted for.Conclusions: Presenteeism, but not absenteeism, was associated with exhaustion. Both presenteeism and absenteeism were the salient correlates of impaired work performance.
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| 3. |
- Aboagye, Emmanuel
(författare)
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From health outcomes to value assessments : preference-based evaluation of interventions and valuation of productivity costs among working adults
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: This thesis applies value assessment frameworks to non-specific low back pain (LBP) in a working population to evaluate health outcomes and to estimate productivity costs. LBP is a common diagnosis in primary health care. It is characterized by recurrent pain episodes and is a major factor in the increasing sickness absence among workers. LBP contributes substantially to the burden of disease and to the economic burden in terms of productivity loss to employer and society at large. Interventions are thus needed to prevent recurring LBP and its associated burden. Such interventions need to be properly evaluated from a variety of perspectives, including that of the worker, the employer and society at large, in order to help us better understand how to support worker-health policies and a sustainable working life. Aims: In the first part of this thesis, the frameworks used aim to investigate the cost-effectiveness of and preferences for secondary prevention interventions for LBP. The second part of the thesis focuses on the production loss measure validity test and on deriving wage multipliers to estimate productivity costs. The thesis investigates productivity costs associated with sickness absence, sickness presenteeism and work environment-related problems from the employer’s perspective. Methods: In Study 1, a cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted among working adults (n =159) to compare the effect and costs of yoga for the prevention of LBP with strength exercises and evidence-based advice. This analysis was conducted from two perspectives, namely that of the employer and that of society at large. The outcome quality adjusted-life years (QALYs) were examined in a 12-month follow-up randomized controlled trial. In Study 2, a discrete choice experiment was conducted among working adults with LBP (n =112). This experiment used the conditional logit model to examine the influence of exercise attributes and individual characteristics on preferences for exercise to prevent LBP. In Study 3, using the Pearson Correlation and the Bland and Altman’s test of agreement, the convergent validity of the Swedish health-related and work environment-related production loss measures (HRPL and WRPL respectively) were tested against the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ) among working adults (n = 88). The HPQ is an extensively psychometrically tested and widely-used instrument. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Bland and Altman’s tests of repeatability were used as tests of stability (n = 44). In Study 4, wage multipliers for managers (n = 758) were derived using an ordinal probit model to predict the costs of productivity loss from sickness absence, sickness presenteeism and work environment-related problems. Results: The cost-effectiveness analysis in Study 1 demonstrates that yoga is less costly and improves quality of life (QALY) compared with strength exercises and evidence-based advice. For an additional QALY worth EUR 11,500 for society, yoga yielded a positive incremental net benefit of EUR 1,542 and EUR 2,860 compared with strength exercise and evidence-based advice respectively. Yoga could also be cost-effective, compared with evidence-based advice, if an employer considers that the improvements in QALY justify the additional cost of the intervention (EUR 150 per worker with LBP). These results only hold for those who adhered to the recommendations of exercising twice a week. The discrete choice experiment in Study 2 demonstrates that the most preferred exercise option was medium to high-intensity cardiovascular training performed in a group with trainer supervision at least once to twice per week. The most preferred types of incentive were exercise during work hours and wellness allowances (Friskvårdbidrag). The individual characteristic that most consistently influenced preferences for exercise was age. The convergent validity test of the production loss measures conducted in Study 3 showed moderately strong correlations (i.e. r = 0.46 for the HRPL and r = 0.31 for WRPL), as expected. The ICC for HRPL assessments was 0.90 and 0.91 for WRPL between the different testing occasions. This suggests that the test–retest reliability was good. Study 4 demonstrates that sickness absence, sickness presenteeism and work environment problems significantly impact team workers’ productivity when job characteristics (i.e. teamwork, ease of substitution of workers and time sensitivity of output) are taken into account. To determine the economic implications for the employer in terms of the cost, it was estimated that the median wage multipliers from the sampled occupations in the study were 1.92 for sickness absence, 1.65 for health-related presenteeism due to acute illness, 1.58 for health-related presenteeism due to chronic illness, and 1.70 for work environment problems. Conclusions: Studies 1– 4 gave rise to the following conclusions: a) Yoga may be considered a cost-effective early intervention for the prevention of LBP, but further investigations are warranted. b) Where preferences for exercise to prevent LBP are concerned, the most important factors were the age and exercise attributes such as type of exercise, frequency, level of supervision and incentives. This implies that providers and employers could improve participation in exercise for working adults with non-specific LBP by focusing on the exercise characteristics which are most attractive. c) The validity test of the HRPL and WRPL suggests that the measures have convergent validity and good stability. This finding may have implications for advancing methods of assessing production loss as an outcome, which represents a major cost for employers. d) After job characteristics had been taken into account, the economic impact of sickness absence, sickness presenteeism and work environment-related problems on team productivity exceeded the cost of wages in a number of occupations. This implies that there could be productivity gains for employers if the cost of health and work environment-related productivity losses can be reduced.
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| 4. |
- Aboagye, Emmanuel, et al.
(författare)
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Individual preferences for physical exercise as secondary prevention for non-specific low back pain : a discrete choice experiment
- 2017
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public library science. - 1932-6203. ; 12:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Exercise is effective in improving non-specific low back pain (LBP). Certain components of physical exercise, such as the type, intensity and frequency of exercise, are likely to influence participation among working adults with non-specific LBP, but the value and relative importance of these components remain unknown. The study's aim was to examine such specific components and their influence on individual preferences for exercise for secondary prevention of non-specific LBP among working adults. Methods: In a discrete choice experiment, working individuals with non-specific LBP answered a webbased questionnaire. Each respondent was given ten pairs of hypothetical exercise programs and asked to choose one option from each pair. The choices comprised six attributes of exercise (i.e., type of training, design, intensity, frequency, proximity and incentives), each with either three or four levels. A conditional logit regression that reflected the random utility model was used to analyze the responses. Results: The final study population consisted of 112 participants. The participants' preferred exercise option was aerobic (i.e., cardiovascular) rather than strength training, group exercise with trainer supervision, rather than individual or unsupervised exercise. They also preferred high intensity exercise performed at least once or twice per week. The most popular types of incentive were exercise during working hours and a wellness allowance rather than coupons for sports goods. The results show that the relative value of some attribute levels differed between young adults (age <= 44 years) and older adults (age <= 45 years) in terms of the level of trainer supervision required, exercise intensity, travel time to exercise location and financial incentives. For active study participants, exercise frequency (i.e., twice per week, 1.15; CI: 0.25; 2.06) influenced choice of exercise. For individuals with more than one child, travel time (i.e., 20 minutes, - 0.55; CI: 0.65; 3.26) was also an influential attribute for choice of exercise, showing that people with children at home preferred to exercise close to home. Conclusions: This study adds to our knowledge about what types of exercise working adults with back pain are most likely to participate in. The exercise should be a cardiovascular type of training carried out in a group with trainer supervision. It should also be of high intensity and preferably performed twice per week during working hours. Coupons for sports goods do not appear to motivate physical activity among workers with LBP. The findings of the study could have a substantial impact on the planning and development of exercise provision and promotion strategies to improve non-specific LBP. Providers and employers may be able to improve participation in exercise programs for adults with non-specific LBP by focusing on the exercise components which are the most attractive. This in turn would improve satisfaction and adherence to exercise interventions aimed at preventing recurrent non-specific LBP.
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| 5. |
- Aboagye, Emmanuel, et al.
(författare)
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Investigating the association between publication performance and the work environment of university research academics : a systematic review
- 2021
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Ingår i: Scientometrics. - : Springer. - 0138-9130 .- 1588-2861. ; 126:4, s. 3283-3301
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this review was to investigate the association between publication performance and the organizational and psychosocial work environment of academics in a university setting. In 2018 we conducted database searches in Web of Science, Medline and other key journals (hand-searched) from 1990 to 2017 based on population, exposure and outcome framework. We examined reference lists, and after a title and abstract scan and full-text reading we identified studies that were original research and fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Articles were evaluated as having a low, moderate or high risk of bias using a quality assessment form. From the studies (n = 32) identified and synthesized, work-environment characteristics could explain the quality and quantity aspects of publication performance of academics. Management practices, leadership and psychosocial characteristics are influential factors that affect academics’ publication productivity. Most of the reviewed studies were judged to be of moderate quality because of issues of bias, related to the measuring of publication outcome. The findings in the studies reviewed suggest that highly productive research academics and departments significantly tend to be influenced by the organizational and psychosocial characteristics of their working environment. The practical relevance of this review is that it highlights where academics’ performance needs support and how the work environment can be improved to bolster publication productivity.
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| 6. |
- Aboagye, Emmanuel, et al.
(författare)
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Manual therapy versus advice to stay active for nonspecific back and/or neck pain : A cost-effectiveness analysis
- 2022
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Ingår i: Chiropractic and Manual Therapies. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-709X. ; 30:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Low back and neck pain are the most common musculoskeletal disorders worldwide, and imply suffering and substantial societal costs, hence effective interventions are crucial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of manual therapy compared with advice to stay active for working age persons with nonspecific back and/or neck pain.METHODS: The two interventions were: a maximum of 6 manual therapy sessions within 6 weeks, including spinal manipulation/mobilization, massage and stretching, performed by a naprapath (index group), respectively information from a physician on the importance to stay active and on how to cope with pain, according to evidence-based advice, at 2 occasions within 3 weeks (control group). A cost-effectiveness analysis with a societal perspective was performed alongside a randomized controlled trial including 409 persons followed for one year, in 2005. The outcomes were health-related Quality of Life (QoL) encoded from the SF-36 and pain intensity. Direct and indirect costs were calculated based on intervention and medication costs and sickness absence data. An incremental cost per health related QoL was calculated, and sensitivity analyses were performed.RESULTS: The difference in QoL gains was 0.007 (95% CI - 0.010 to 0.023) and the mean improvement in pain intensity was 0.6 (95% CI 0.068-1.065) in favor of manual therapy after one year. Concerning the QoL outcome, the differences in mean cost per person was estimated at - 437 EUR (95% CI - 1302 to 371) and for the pain outcome the difference was - 635 EUR (95% CI - 1587 to 246) in favor of manual therapy. The results indicate that manual therapy achieves better outcomes at lower costs compared with advice to stay active. The sensitivity analyses were consistent with the main results.CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that manual therapy for nonspecific back and/or neck pain is slightly less costly and more beneficial than advice to stay active for this sample of working age persons. Since manual therapy treatment is at least as cost-effective as evidence-based advice from a physician, it may be recommended for neck and low back pain. Further health economic studies that may confirm those findings are warranted. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN56954776. Retrospectively registered 12 September 2006, http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN56954776 .
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| 7. |
- Aboagye, Emmanuel, et al.
(författare)
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What is Number of Days in Number of Times? : Associations Between, and Responsiveness of, Two Sickness Presenteeism Measures
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - : Wolters Kluwer. - 1076-2752 .- 1536-5948. ; 62:5, s. e180-e185
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To examine the associations between sickness presenteeism (SP) reported as number of days with SP reported as number of times and to evaluate their responsiveness.Methods: The study population (n = 454) consisted of employed individuals, at risk of long-term sickness absence. Correlation analyses were performed to examine associations between the two SP measures and external constructs such as work performance, general health, and registered sick leave. Both SP constructs were measured several times to examine responsiveness.Results: The SP measures are moderately correlated. They moderately correlated with work performance and health status measures. SP reported as number of times seems to be more sensitive than number of days in detecting changes after rehabilitation.Conclusions: Numerical or categorical constructs are valid sources of data on SP. However, categorized SP seems to be more responsive.
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| 8. |
- Aronsson, Gunnar, et al.
(författare)
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Health and motivation as mediators of the effects of job demands, job control, job support, and role conflicts at work and home on sickness presenteeism and absenteeism
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. - : Springer Nature. - 0340-0131 .- 1432-1246. ; 94:3, s. 409-418
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The first objective was to contribute to a better understanding of the contrasting and paradoxical results in studies of work environment factors and sickness presence and sickness absence. A second objective was to examine if, and under what conditions, employees choose to replace sickness absence with sickness presence, i.e., so-called substitution.Methods: The study utilizes a large body of cross-sectional questionnaire data (n = 130,161) gathered in Sweden from 2002 to 2007 in connection with a comprehensive health promotion initiative. Health and motivation were analyzed as mediators of the effects of five job factors, job control, job support, job demand, role conflict and “work to family conflict” on sickness presence and absence.Results: The results concerning job demands indicate substitution in that increased job demands are associated with increased presenteeism and reduced absenteeism. The direct effect of higher job support was increased absenteeism, but via the health and motivation paths, the total effect of more social support was health-promoting and associated with a reduction in sickness absence and sickness presence. High job control emerged as the most pronounced health-promoting factor, reducing sickness presenteeism as well as absenteeism. More role conflicts and work-to-family conflicts were directly and indirectly associated with decreased health and increased absenteeism as well as presenteeism. earlier research.Conclusion: The mediation analyzes shed light on some of the paradoxes in research on sickness presenteeism and sickness absenteeism, especially regarding job demands and job support. The substitution effect is important for workplace policy and occupational health practice.
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| 9. |
- Bergström, Gunnar, Professor, et al.
(författare)
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A Resourceful Work Environment Moderates the Relationship between Presenteeism and Health : A Study Using Repeated Measures in the Swedish Working Population
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 17:13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of this study was to investigate if the psychosocial work environment moderates the proposed negative impact of presenteeism on future general health. We expect that the negative impact of presenteeism on general health is weaker if the psychosocial work environment is resourceful, and more pronounced if the environment is stressful. Data were derived from the 2008-2018 biennial waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH). The final analytic sample consisted ofn= 15,779 individuals. We applied repeated measures regression analyses through generalized estimating equations (GEE). Results from the autoregressive GEE models showed statistically significant interaction terms between presenteeism and all four investigated moderators, i.e., job demands, job control, job support and job strain. The results indicate that the psychosocial work environment moderates the negative association between presenteeism and general health and illustrates a buffering effect of the psychosocial work environment. A possible explanation for these results may be that psychosocially resourceful work environments give room for adjustments in the work situation and facilitate recovery. The results also indicate that by investing the psychosocial work environment employers may be able to promote worker health as well as prevent reduced job performance due to presenteeism.
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| 10. |
- Gustafsson, Klas, et al.
(författare)
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Presenteeism as a predictor of disability pension : A prospective study among nursing professionals and care assistants in Sweden
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Occupational Health. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1341-9145 .- 1348-9585. ; 61:6, s. 453-463
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to examine how presenteeism affects the risk of future disability pension among nursing professionals and care assistants (assistant nurses, hospital ward assistants, home-based personal care workers, and child care assistants). A specific objective was to compare health and social care employees with all other occupations.METHODS: The study was based on a representative sample of working women and men (n = 43 682) aged 16-64 years, who had been interviewed between 2001 and 2013 for the Swedish Work Environment Survey conducted every second year since 1989. Information on disability pension was obtained from the Social Insurance Agency's database (2002-2014). The studied predictors were related to disability pension using Cox's proportional hazard regression with hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) and selected confounders were controlled for. The follow-up period was 6.7 years (SD 4.2).RESULTS: Health and social care employees with frequent presenteeism showed a particularly elevated risk of future disability pension after adjusting for sex, sociodemographic variables, physical and psychosocial working conditions, and self-rated health symptoms. In the amalgamated occupational group of nursing professionals and care assistants, the impact on disability pension of having engaged in presenteeism four times or more during the prior year remained significant (HR = 3.72, 95% CI = 2.43-5.68).CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that frequent presenteeism contributes to an increased risk of disability pension among nursing professionals and care assistants as well as among all other occupations.
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