1.
Kadefors, Roland, 1939, et al.
(författare)
Social inequality in working life expectancy in Sweden
2019
Ingår i: Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0948-6704 .- 1435-1269. ; 52:(Suppl 1), s. 52-61
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Background In Sweden, there is a socioeconomic divide between white and blue collars with respect to risk for premature work life exits. Disability pension has long represented a major reason behind early exits. Objectives The present investigation aimed at studying the effect on socioeconomic groups of new guidelines issued by the Swedish government in 2006, limiting the possibilities for applicants to be granted pension on medical grounds. Material and method The study was based on register data comprising the prevalence in the age group 55-64 years of disability pension and premature age pension in different occupations, comparing the years 2006 and 2011. Results It was found that in 2011 under the new guidelines, newly approved disability pensions had dropped by 70%. Women were affected more than men. The drop in disability pensions affected applicants within the two most prevalent diagnosis chapters, mental disorders (a drop by 58 %) and musculoskeletal disorders (a drop by 87 %). In the same time period, the percentage in the age range 55-64 years choosing premature age pension more than doubled. An increase in the number of premature age pensions was more common in blue collar occupational groups than in white collars. Occupation had a higher impact on working life expectancy than country of birth. Conclusion There are strong indications that many applicants, particularly blue collars, who had been unable to be granted disability pension under the new operational guidelines instead choose premature age pension, a costly alternative for many individuals with already low pension benefits. Our results indicate a tendency of passing on the societal costs of early labour market exits to different economic compensation arrangements, as well as to the individuals themselves.
2.
Gunn, Virginia, et al.
(författare)
Non-Standard Employment and Unemployment during the COVID-19 Crisis : Economic and Health Findings from a Six-Country Survey Study
2022
Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 19:10
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
The COVID-19 crisis is a global event that has created and amplified social inequalities, including an already existing and steadily increasing problem of employment and income insecurity and erosion of workplace rights, affecting workers globally. The aim of this exploratory study was to review employment-related determinants of health and health protection during the pandemic, or more specifically, to examine several links between non-standard employment, unemployment, economic, health, and safety outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Canada, the United States, and Chile, based on an online survey conducted from November 2020 to June 2021. The study focused on both non-standard workers and unemployed workers and examined worker outcomes in the context of current type and duration of employment arrangements, as well as employment transitions triggered by the COVID-19 crisis. The results suggest that COVID-19-related changes in non-standard worker employment arrangements, or unemployment, are related to changes in work hours, income, and benefits, as well as the self-reported prevalence of suffering from severe to extreme anxiety or depression. The results also suggest a link between worker type, duration of employment arrangements, or unemployment, and the ability to cover regular expenses during the pandemic. Additionally, the findings indicate that the type and duration of employment arrangements are related to the provision of personal protective equipment or other COVID-19 protection measures. This study provides additional evidence that workers in non-standard employment and the unemployed have experienced numerous and complex adverse effects of the pandemic and require additional protection through tailored pandemic responses and recovery strategies.
3.
4.
Matilla-Santander, N., et al.
(författare)
COVID-19 and Precarious Employment : Consequences of the Evolving Crisis
2021
Ingår i: International Journal of Health Services. - : Sage Publications. - 0020-7314 .- 1541-4469. ; 5:2, s. 226-228
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
The world of work is facing an ongoing pandemic and an economic downturn with severe effects worldwide. Workers trapped in precarious employment (PE), both formal and informal, are among those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we call attention to at least 5 critical ways that the consequences of the crisis among workers in PE will be felt globally: (a) PE will increase, (b) workers in PE will become more precarious, (c) workers in PE will face unemployment without being officially laid off, (d) workers in PE will be exposed to serious stressors and dramatic life changes that may lead to a rise in diseases of despair, and (e) PE might be a factor in deterring the control of or in generating new COVID-19 outbreaks. We conclude that what we really need is a new social contract, where the work of all workers is recognized and protected with adequate job contracts, employment security, and social protection in a new economy, both during and after the COVID-19 crisis.
5.
Kadefors, Roland, 1939, et al.
(författare)
Occupation, gender and work-life exits: a Swedish population study
2018
Ingår i: Ageing & Society. - 0144-686X .- 1469-1779. ; 38:7, s. 1332-1349
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
The present study was undertaken in order to examine the differences between occupations in the Swedish labour market with respect to the risk for men and women of leaving working life prematurely. The project was carried out as a population study employing methodology used in demographics to predict life length at birth. Here, calculations of expected remaining work-life length were based on the exits from working life. The study was based on the Swedish national labour statistics, covering all employees who had an occupational definition in 2006 and who were in the age range 35–64 years during the study period 2007–2010. There was a clear socio-economic divide in exit patterns, comparing blue- and white-collar jobs. The differences between the highest and the lowest risk jobs exceeded 4.5 years among both men and women. In the blue-collar occupational groups there were 50 per cent or less ‘survivors’ still working at age 65; in many white-collar occupations there were more than 60 per cent. Men and women exited working life at the same age. Compared to a similar study carried out in 2006, the same socio-economic pattern prevails, but people now work longer in almost all occupations. Women exited working life 0.8 years earlier than men in 2006; this difference is now gone.
6.
Emmelin, Maria, 1953-
(författare)
Self-rated health in public health evaluation
2004
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
There is still a debate concerning the evidence base for community interventions. The randomised clinical trial design (RCT) is increasingly challenged as a gold standard for their evaluation. This thesis takes the Norsjö health programme in Västerbotten as the starting point for a discussion about the ethical platform of community interventions and for exploring the role of self-rated health. The specific objectives are: 1) to better understand barriers to community participation and to assess the role of ethical premises among decision-makers, 2) to explore how health related norms and attitudes interact with self-rated health and the risk factor outcome of an intervention and 3) to analyse the gender and socio-cultural interplay of self-rated health with biomedical risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The participation and views of different actors in the planning and implementation phases of the intervention were studied by contrasting information between official documents, interviews with decision makers and professionals and questionnaires to community members. The role of basic values in setting priorities and choosing intervention strategies utilised a questionnaire design with hypothetical scenarios sent to a representative sample of Swedish health care politicians. Qualitative research interviews were used to explore health related norms and attitudes. Health examination measurements and questionnaire data formed the basis for analysis of the development of self-rated health and risk factor load during a 10-year follow-up of the intervention. Access to a stroke registry enabled a case-referent approach for studying the interaction between bio-medical risk factors, socio-demographic factors and self-rated health. Data from the Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) could be utilised for a cross-country comparison with a “sister project” in Otsego, U.S.A. The results point to both strengths and limitations of the efforts made to involve people in the intervention. The problem definition mainly remained with the professionals and participation as a goal in itself, strengthening local democracy was felt to be an exaggerated ambition. However, there was an overall agreement about the seriousness of the health problem, the need to intervene and about the implementation mode. Self-rated health and reported behavioural change were important indicators of participation and young men with bad health seemed to have been least involved. Among Swedish health care politicians there was an overall agreement to allocate resources for prevention directed towards communities when there are serious health problems. The majority preferred an intervention strategy that involved primary health care. The risk of harm by creating some degree of anxiety or stigma was for many considered an acceptable drawback of a successful intervention. The follow-up study revealed a positive risk factor reduction accompanied by a positive development of self-rated health, especially for men. Additional support for an intervention effect was given through a comparison with a reference area. The interaction pattern between risk reduction and self-rated health was more polarised for men than for women, with a corresponding pattern for the lower compared to the higher educated. These results could be linked to a transition in the health related norm system and to “ideal types” representing attitudinal sets towards the intervention. The case-referent analysis suggested an interaction effect between self-rated health and bio-medical risk factor load in predicting stroke that was greater for men than for women. The cross-country comparison revealed a stronger influence of education in the U.S.A. The lower educated, with a high risk load, had a greater risk of self-rated poor health than their Swedish counterparts. The thesis suggests that self-rated health is an unexplored indicator, potentially important for understanding the complexity of community interventions. Self-rated health may predict disease development as well as modify the impact of established risk factors.
7.
Brydsten, Anna, 1984-
(författare)
Yesterday once more? Unemployment and health inequalities across the life course in northern Sweden
2017
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
AbstractBackground. It is relatively well established in previous research that unemployment has direct health consequences in terms of mental and physical ill health. Recently, knowledge has emerged indicating that unemployment can lead to economic consequences that remain long after re-establishment in the labour market. However, few empirical studies have been able to apply a life course perspective asking whether there are also long-term health consequences of unemployment, and, when and in which context unemployment may affect the individual health status across the life course. The aim of this thesis was to analyse the relationship between unemployment and illness across the life course, and how it relates to individual and structural factors in the geographical setting of northern Sweden. In particular, three main areas have been explored: youth unemployment and illness in adulthood (Paper I and Paper II), contextual unemployment of national unemployment rate and neighbourhood unemployment (Paper II and Paper III) and lastly, social determinants of health inequality between employment statuses (Paper IV).Methods. This thesis is positioned in Sweden between the early 1980s and the mid-2010s, following two comparable cohorts sampled from northern Sweden (26 and 19 years follow-up time respectively from youth to midlife) and a cross-sectional sample from 2014 of the four northernmost counties in Sweden. The two longitudinal cohorts comprised the Northern Swedish Cohort and the Younger Northern Swedish Cohort, consisting of all pupils in the 9th grade of compulsory school in Luleå municipality in 1981 and 1989. The participants responded to an extensive questionnaire on socioeconomic factors, work and health, in 5 and 2 waves respectively of data collections. Neighbourhood register data from Statistics Sweden was also collected for all participants in the Northern Sweden Cohort. At the latest data collection, 94.3% (n=1010) participated in the Northern Sweden Cohort and 85.6% (n=686) in the Younger Northern Sweden Cohort. The cross-sectional study Health on Equal Terms is a national study, administered by the Public Health Agency together with Statistics Sweden and county councils with the aim of mapping public health and living conditions in the country over time. In this thesis, material from 2014 has been used for northern Sweden with a response rate of around 50% (effective sample n=12769). The statistical analyses used were linear regression, multilevel analysis and difference-in-difference analysis to estimate the concurrent and long-term health consequences of unemployment, and a decomposition analysis to disentangle the inequality in health between different labour market positions. The health outcomes in focus were functional somatic symptoms (the occurrence of relatively common physical illnesses such as head, muscle and stomach ache, insomnia and palpitation) and psychological distress.Results. Among men only, as little as one month of youth unemployment was related to increased levels of functional somatic symptoms in midlife, regardless of previous ill health or unemployment later in life, although only during relatively low national unemployment (pre-recession) when comparing with youth unemployment during high national unemployment (recession). This was explained by the health promoting effect of more time spent in higher education during the recession period. Furthermore, the health impact of neighbourhood unemployment highlights the importance of the contextual setting for individuals’ health both across the life course and at specific periods of life. Lastly, employment-related mental health inequalities exist for both men and women in all life phases (youth, adulthood and midlife). Economic and social deprivation related to unemployment and illness varied across different phases in life and across genders.Conclusion. The key findings of this thesis paint a rather pessimistic vision of the future: one’s own and others’ unemployment may cause not only ill health today but also ill health later in life. Importantly, the responsibility of unemployment and the associated ill health should not be placed on the already marginalised individuals and communities. Instead, the responsibility should be directed towards the structural aspects of society and the political choices that shape these. In other words, health inequality manifested by the position in the labour market is socially produced, unfair and changeable through political decisions. The results of this study therefore cannot contribute to any simple or concrete solutions to the concurrent or long-term health consequences of individual or contextual unemployment, as the solution is beyond the areas of responsibility and abilities of research. However, if there are long-term health consequences of one’s own and other people’s unemployment, labour market and public health policies should be initiated from a young age and continue throughout the life course to reduce individual suffering and future costs of social insurance, sick-leave and unemployment benefits.
8.
van den Bosch, Matilda, et al.
(författare)
Moving to Serene Nature May Prevent Poor Mental Health—Results from a Swedish Longitudinal Cohort Study
2015
Ingår i: International journal of environmental research and public health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 12, s. 7974-7989
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Green spaces are recognized for improving mental health, but what particular kind of nature is required is yet not elucidated. This study explores the effect of specific types of recreational nature qualities on mental health. Longitudinal data (1999/2000 and 2005) from a public health survey was distributed to a stratified sample (n = 24,945) of a Swedish population. People from rural or suburban areas (n = 9230) who had moved between baseline and follow-up (n = 1419) were studied. Individual geographic residence codes were linked to five predefined nature qualities, classified in geographic information systems (GIS). Any change in the amount of or type of qualities within 300 m distance between baseline and follow-up was correlated to any change in mental health (as measured by the General Health Questionnaire) by logistic regression models. On average, the population had limited access to nature qualities both pre- and post-move. There was no significant correlation between change in the amount of qualities and change in mental health. However, the specific quality “serene” was a significant determinant with a significantly decreased risk for women of change to mental ill-health at follow-up. The objective definition of the potentially health-promoting quality may facilitate implication in landscape practice and healthy planning
9.
Canivet, Catarina, et al.
(författare)
The negative effects on mental health of being in a non-desired occupation in an increasingly precarious labour market
2017
Ingår i: SSM - Population Health. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-8273. ; 3, s. 516-524
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Precarious employment has been associated with poor mental health. Moreover, increasing labour market precariousness may cause individuals to feel ‘locked-in’, in non-desired workplaces or occupations, out of fear of not finding a new employment. This could be experienced as a ‘loss of control’, with similar negative health consequences. It is plausible that the extent to which being in a non-desired occupation (NDO) or being in precarious employment (PE) has a negative impact on mental health differs according to age group. We tested this hypothesis using data from 2331 persons, 18–34, 35–44, and 45–54 years old, who answered questionnaires in 1999/2000, 2005, and 2010. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were calculated for poor mental health (GHQ-12) in 2010, after exposure to NDO and PE in 1999/2000 or 2005. NDO and PE were more common in the youngest age group, and they were both associated with poor mental health. In the middle age group the impact of NDO was null, while in contrast the IRR for PE was 1.7 (95% CI: 1.3–2.3) after full adjustment. The pattern was completely the opposite in the oldest age group (adjusted IRR for NDO 1.6 (1.1–2.4) and for PE 0.9 (0.6–1.4)). The population attributable fraction of poor mental health was 14.2% and 11.6%, respectively, for NDO in the youngest and oldest age group, and 17.2% for PE in the middle age group. While the consequences of PE have been widely discussed, those of NDO have not received attention. Interventions aimed at adapting work situations for older individuals and facilitating conditions of job change in such a way as to avoid risking unemployment or precarious employment situations may lead to improved mental health in this age group.
10.
Nilsson, Kerstin, et al.
(författare)
54 forskare: Vi är oroade över senare ålderspension
2017
Ingår i: Dagens Samhälle. ; :20 December 2017
Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.) abstract
Vi – 54 forskare – är mycket oroade över konsekvenserna av att, som föreslagits, senarelägga ålderspensionen. Förslaget utgår i princip från arbetskraftsdeltagande i princip enbart styrs av ekonomin, medan forskningen visar att det bara är en av flera faktorer som styr hur länge och hur mycket människor väljer att arbeta. Det här sättet att lösa problemet med en åldrande befolkning och ett sviktande pensionssystem är inte samhällsekonomiskt lönsamt på lång sikt, utan riskerar bara att flytta runt folk mellan olika ersättningssystem. Pensionssystemet bygger på att vi ska arbeta en viss del av våra liv för att tjäna in vår pension. Vi bör dock inte enbart utgå ifrån ålder eller antalet år sedan en person föddes då korttidsutbildade generellt träder in på arbetsmarknaden tidigare än långtidsutbildade. De med kortare utbildningstid har alltså varit en del av arbetskraften från en yngre ålder. Människor med kortare utbildning har också oftare ett arbete som innebär påfrestningar som kan inverka negativt på hälsotillståndet och som till och med kan påskynda det biologiska åldrandet. Dessutom lever korttidsutbildade generellt sett inte lika länge som långtidsutbildade, vilket delvis även avspeglar skilda livs- och arbetsvillkor. Ta nytta av den forskning som vi har tagit fram. Ekonomin är självklart viktigt för att vi ska vilja arbeta, men den är som sagt enbart en av flera faktorer med betydelse vårt arbetsliv. Hälsotillståndet, både det fysiska och det mentala, har en avgörande betydelse för hur länge och hur mycket vi orkar arbeta. Ett fysiskt och mentalt belastande arbete är en stark riskfaktor för en nedsatt hälsa i slutet av arbetslivet. Arbetstid, arbetstakt och möjlighet till återhämtning spelar en allt större roll ju äldre vi blir. Andra aspekter är arbetsinnehåll, hur meningsfulla och stimulerande arbetsuppgifterna är, balansen mellan arbete och familjesituation och fritidsaktiviteter. Organisationskultur, ledarskapet, stöd i arbetet och kompetens har stor betydelse för om vi ska kunna och vilja arbeta till en högre ålder. Vi måste ta större hänsyn till olika förutsättningar och varierande funktionsförmåga och utifrån detta anpassa de åtgärder som gör att arbetslivet blir möjligt och hållbart för allt fler även i högre ålder. Ett hållbart och acceptabelt pensionssystem måste därför utformas utifrån personliga förutsättningar och förhållanden i arbetslivet. Ett hållbart arbetsliv för allt fler i vår åldrande befolkning fordrar att vi samtidigt beaktar faktorer som relaterar till biologisk/kroppslig ålder, mental/kognitiv ålder samt social ålder/livsloppsfas samt de attityder som är kopplade till ålder. Läs och se forskning om äldre i arbetslivet. Kerstin Nilsson, Docent i folkhälsovetenskap epidemiologi, Arbets- och miljömedicin Lunds universitet Boo Johansson, Professor i psykologi, AgeCap - Centrum för åldrande och hälsa, Göteborgs universitet Per-Olof Östergren, Professor Socialmedicin och global hälsa, Lunds universitet Roland Kadefors, Professor, avdelningen för Sociologi och Arbetsvetenskap Göteborgs universitet Gunnar Aronsson, Professor i arbets- och organisationspsykologi Psykologiska institutionen Stockholms universitet Margareta Torgén, MD PhD, Arbets- och miljömedicin, Inst med vet Uppsala universitet Sten Gellerstedt, adj professor Luleå tekniska universitet Lena Abrahamsson, Professor i arbetsvetenskap vid Luleå tekniska universitet Catarina Nordander, Docent överläkare Arbets- och miljömedicin Lunds universitet Kai Österberg, Docent, leg psykolog, universitetslektor Institutionen för psykologi, Avd för neuropsykologi, Lunds universitet Ingmar Skoog, Professor Institutionen för neurovetenskap och fysiologi, föreståndare för AgeCap - Centrum för åldrande och hälsa, Göteborgs universitet Pia Hovbrandt, Lic universitetslektor arbetsterapi, Lunds universitet Gerd Johansson, Professor Ergonomi och Aerosolteknologi, Institutionen för designvetenskaper, Lunds universitet Mikael Widell Blomé, Docent Ergonomi och Aerosolteknologi, Institutionen för designvetenskaper, Lunds universitet Mats Bohgard, Professor i arbetsmiljöteknik LTH, Lunds universitet Stefan Pinzke, Docent Arbetsvetenskap, ekonomi och miljöpsykologi, SLU Alnarp Mikael Forsman, Professor i ergonomi, IMM - Institutet för miljömedicin, Karolinska Institutet Peter Lundqvist, Professor Arbetsvetenskap, ekonomi och miljöpsykologi, SLU Alnarp Anna-Lisa Osvalder, Professor i Människa-maskinsystem, Design & Human Factors, Chalmers tekniska högskola och Ergonomi och aerosolteknik, Lunds universitet Inger Arvidsson, Dr.Med.vet. Fysioterapi, Arbets- och miljömedicin, Lunds universitet Peter M. Nilsson, Professor Malmö Kerstin Persson Waye, Professor Arbets- och miljömedicin Sahlgrenska akademin, Göteborgs universitet Janicke Andersson, Fil.Dr. i Äldre och åldrande, Lunds universitet Clary Krekula, Docent i sociologi, Karlstads universitet Elisabet Cedersund, Professor i äldre och åldrande, Linköpings universitet Mona Eklund, Senior professor i arbetsterapi och aktivitetsvetenskap, Lunds universitet Bengt Järvholm, Senior professor i yrkes- och miljömedicin, Umeå universitet Johan Stahre Professor produktionssystem, Chalmers tekniska högskola, ordförande för nationella forsknings- och innovationsrådet inom produktion och sekreterare i svenska Produktionsakademien Elisabeth von Essen Fil.Dr. Arbetsvetenskap, ekonomi och miljöpsykologi SLU Alnarp Maria Sjölund, Fil.Dr. Högskolan i Gävle Maria Warne, Fil.Dr. Mittuniversitetet, Östersund. Lars Rylander, Docent Epidemiolog, Arbets- och miljömedicin Lunds universitet Mikael Ottosson, Docent Arbetsvetenskap, Historiska institutionen, Lunds universitet Mikael Stattin, Docent universitetslektor vid Sociologiska institutionen, Umeå universitet Erika Wall, Docent i sociologi, verksam i rehabiliteringsvetenskap, Mittuniversitetet i Östersund Anna Rignell-Hydbom, Docent Arbets- och miljömedicin Lunds universitet Kjell Torén, Professor överläkare Arbets- och miljömedicin Sahlgrenska Akademin, Göteborgs universitet Susanna Toivanen, Professor i sociologi, inriktning arbetslivsvetenskap, Akademin för hälsa, vård och välfärd, Mälardalens högskola Måns Svensson, Docent i rättssociologi Lunds universitet Carita Håkansson, Docent Arbets- och miljömedicin, Lunds universitet Veronica Lövgren, Fil.Dr. Socialt arbete, Umeå universitet Centrum för funktionshinderforskning Mats Hagberg, Professor Arbets- och miljömedicin Sahlgrenska akademin Göteborgs universitet Lotta Dellve, Professor Institutionen för sociologi och arbetsvetenskap, Göteborgs universitet Kerstin Wentz, Professor Arbets- och miljömedicin Sahlgrenska akademin Göteborgs universitet Anna Larsson, Forskningsassistent Arbets- och miljömedicin Lunds universitet Ann Bergman, Professor i arbetsvetenskap Handelshögskolan Karlstads universitet Per Lindberg, Docent i arbetshälsovetenskap, Centrum för belastningsskadeforskning Högskolan i Gävle Christofer Rydenfält, Fil. Dr. Ergonomi och Aerosolteknologi, Institutionen för designvetenskaper, Lunds universitet Kjerstin Stigmar, Med Dr, leg sjukgymnast, Institutionen för hälsovetenskaper, Lunds universitet Gunnar Gillberg, Fil.Dr. universitetslektor Institutionen för sociologi och arbetsvetenskap Göteborgs universitet Maria Albin, Professor överläkare Institutet för miljömedicin Karolinska institutet Lisa Björk, Dr. arbetsvetenskap och utvecklingsledare vid Institutet för stressmedicin i Göteborg Satu Heikkinen, Fil.Dr. i sociologi, Karlstads universitet Åsa Tjulin, Fil.Dr. Mittuniversitetet, Östersund
