Objectives: Precarious employment conditions have become more common in many countries over the last decades, and have been linked to various adverse health outcomes. The objective of this review was ...to collect and summarize existing scientific research of the relationship between dimensions of precarious employment and the rate of occupational injuries. Methods: A protocol was developed in accordance with the PRISMA-P checklist for systematic literature reviews. We searched PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus for articles on observational studies from North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand published in peer-reviewed journals 1990-2017. A minimum of two independent reviewers assessed each article with respect to quality and eligibility criteria. Articles of high/ moderate quality meeting all specified inclusion criteria were included in the review. Results: The literature search resulted in 471 original titles, of which 17 articles met all the inclusion criteria. The most common exposures were in descending order; temporary employment, multiple jobs, working for a subcontractor at the same worksite/temp agency, part-time, self-employment, hourly pay, union membership, insurance benefits, flexible versus fixed work schedule, wages, job insecurity, work-time control and precarious career trajectories. Ten studies reported a positive association between precarious employment and occupational injuries. Four studies reported a negative association, and three studies did not show any significant association. Conclusions: This review supports an association between some of the dimensions of precarious employment and occupational injuries; most notably for multiple jobholders and employees of temp agencies or subcontractors at the same worksite. However, results for temporary employment are inconclusive. There is a need for more prospective studies of high quality, designed to measure effect sizes as well as causality.
Precarious employment and mental health Rönnblad, Torkel; Grönholm, Erik; Jonsson, Johanna ...
Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health,
01/2019, Letnik:
45, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Objectives Precarious employment (PE) is a term used to describe non-standard employment forms characterized by low security that may have negative effects on mental health. The objective of this ...review was to systematically review the evidence for effects of PE on mental health and identify important areas for further research. Methods A protocol was developed following PRISMA-P guidelines. Web of Science, PubMed and PsycINFO were searched up to 4 September 2017. All unique records were assessed for eligibility and quality by at least two reviewers. Data from included studies were summarized in forest plots and meta-analyses using a random-effects model. Evidence quality was rated using the GRADE method. Results We obtained 3328 unique records, of which 16 studies of sufficient quality met the inclusion criteria. Moderate quality evidence (GRADE score 3 of 4) was found for an adverse effect of job insecurity on mental health; summary odds ratio (OR) 1.52 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.35-1.70. There was very low quality (GRADE 1 of 4) evidence for effects of temporary employment or unpredictable work hours on mental health. Five studies on multidimensional exposures all showed adverse effects, weighted average OR 2.01 (95% CI 1.60-2.53). Conclusions Research on PE and mental health is growing, but high-quality prospective studies are still scarce. Job insecurity likely has an adverse effect on mental health. A clear multi-dimensional definition of PE is lacking, and harmonization efforts are needed. Further single-variable observational studies on job insecurity or temporary employment should not be prioritized.
Objectives The lack of a common definition for precarious employment (PE) severely hampers the comparison of studies within and between countries, consequently reducing the applicability of research ...findings. We carried out a systematic review to summarize how PE has been conceptualized and implemented in research and identify the construct's dimensions in order to facilitate guidance on its operationalization. Methods According to PRISMA guidelines, we searched Web of Science and Scopus for publications with variations of PE in the title or abstract. The search returned 1225 unique entries, which were screened for eligibility. Exclusion criteria were (i) language other than English, (ii) lack of a definition for PE, and (iii) non-original research. A total of 63 full-text articles were included and qualitative thematic-analysis was performed in order to identify dimensions of PE. Results We identified several theory-based definitions of PE developed by previous researchers. Most definitions and operationalizations were either an accommodation to available data or the direct result of qualitative studies identifying themes of PE. The thematic-analysis of the selected articles resulted in a multidimensional construct including the following three dimensions: employment insecurity, income inadequacy, and lack of rights and protection. Conclusions Despite a growing number of studies on PE, most fail to clearly define the concept, severely restricting the advancement of the research of PE as a social determinant of health. Our combined theoretical and empirical review suggests that a common multidimensional definition could be developed and deployed in different labor market contexts using a variety of methodological approaches.
Objectives National quantifications of the health burden related to traffic noise are still rare. In this study, we use disability-adjusted life-years (DALY) measure to assess the burden of disease ...from road traffic and railway noise in Sweden. Methods The number of DALY was assessed for annoyance, sleep disturbance, hypertension, myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke using a method previously implemented by the World Health Organization (WHO). Population exposure to noise was obtained from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Swedish Transport Administration. Data on disease occurrence were gathered from registers held by the National Board of Health and Welfare and Statistics Sweden. Disability weights (DW) and duration were based on WHO definitions. Finally, we used research-based exposure–response functions or relative risks to estimate disease attributable to noise in each exposure category. Results The number of DALY attributed to traffic noise in Sweden was estimated to be 41 033 years; 36 711 (90%) related to road traffic and 4322 (10%) related to railway traffic. The most important contributor to the disease burden was sleep disturbances, accounting for 22 218 DALY (54%), followed by annoyance, 12 090 DALY (30%), and cardiovascular diseases, 6725 DALY (16%). Conclusions Road traffic and railway noise contribute significantly to the burden of disease in Sweden each year. The total number of DALY should, however, be interpreted with caution due to limitations in data quality.
The present study aims to investigate the association between exposure to precarious employment three years after graduation and the risk of labor market marginalization (LMM) ten years later.
A ...registered-linked cohort study based on the Swedish Work, Illness, and Labor-market Participation (SWIP) cohort was conducted among all individuals born between 1973 and 1976, who were registered in Sweden the year they turned 27 years old (N=365 702). Information on the exposure of labor market establishment three years after graduating from school and outcome of LMM ten years after graduating was collected from nationwide registers. Relative risk ratios (RRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained by multinominal logistic regression.
After considering important covariates, young adults in precarious employment three years after graduation were at an increased risk of future long-term unemployment (RRR 2.31), later precarious employment (RRR 2.85), and long-term sickness absence/disability pension (RRR 1.43) compared to individuals who had obtained standard employment arrangements within three years of graduating. Young precariously employed men had a slightly strong association compared to females with regards to all outcomes.
The result of this study suggests that both young men and women in precarious employment three years after graduation are more likely to have a weaker attachment to the labor force later in life compared to individuals of the same age in standard employment. This is important as the prevalence of precarious employment is increasing globally, and young adults appear to be especially vulnerable.
Objectives The aims of this position paper are to (i) summarize research on precarious employment (PE) in the context of occupational health; (ii) develop a theoretical framework that distinguishes ...PE from related concepts and delineates important contextual factors; and (iii) identify key methodological challenges and directions for future research on PE and health. Methods This position paper is the result of a working group consisting of researchers from the EU, Turkey and the USA, who have discussed the issue over the course of six months (October 2018-April 2019), meeting both online and face-to-face on several occasions. Results The lack of a common theoretical framework of PE hinders it from becoming an established part of occupational and public health research. There are also issues regarding operationalization in surveys and registers. Further, previous research on PE and health suffers from methodological limitations including inadequate study designs and biased assessments of exposure and outcomes. PE is highly dependent on contextual factors and cross-country comparison has proven very difficult. We also point to the uneven social distribution of PE, ie, higher prevalence among women, immigrants, young and low educated. We propose a theoretical framework for understanding precarious employment as a multidimensional construct. Conclusions A generally accepted multidimensional definition of PE should be the highest priority. Future studies would benefit from improved exposure assessment, temporal resolution, and accounting for confounders, as well as testing possible mechanisms, eg, by adopting multi-level and intersectional analytical approaches in order to understand the complexity of PE and its relation to health.
Abstract
Background
Previous studies of preterm birth (PTB) concerning night work have been inconclusive and partly limited by imprecise data on working schedules. This study investigated the risk of ...PTB in relation to detailed, registry-based data on working hours.
Methods
In a register-based prospective cohort study, we identified 4970 singleton births with information on PTB from the Swedish Medical Birth Register of health care employees in Stockholm. Day-by-day information on working hours 2008–16 was obtained from a computerized employee register. Odds ratios (ORs) of PTB according to work hour characteristics were analysed by logistic regression adjusted for mother’s age, stature, body mass index (BMI), parity, smoking habits, education, profession and country of birth.
Results
There was an increased risk of PTB among those who frequently worked night shifts (>25 times) OR, 1.62; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03–2.53 and who ever worked ≥3 consecutive night shifts (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.03–1.99) during the first trimester. Frequently (> 8 times) working 3 or more consecutive nights, and frequently (>18 times) having quick returns from night shifts (<28 h) during the first trimester showed 3–4 fold increased risk of PTB. Moreover, working frequent (>20 times) long shifts (≥10 h) (OR 1.63; 95% CI, 1.07–2.49) during the first trimester and working any Week >40 h (OR 2.05; 95% CI, 1.31–3.22) during the third trimester were associated with PTB.
Conclusions
In this cohort of Swedish health care employees with registry-based data on working hours, night work, especially working frequent consecutive nights, and quick returns from night shifts during the first trimester were associated with increased risk of PTB among pregnant women.
The globalisation of the economy and the labour markets has resulted in a growing proportion of individuals who find themselves in a precarious labour market situation, especially among the young. ...This pertains also to the Nordic countries, despite their characterisation as well developed welfare states with active labour market policies. This should be viewed against the background of a number of studies, which have shown that several aspects of precarious employment are detrimental to mental health. However, longitudinal studies from the Nordic region that examine the impact of precarious labour market conditions on mental health in young individuals are currently lacking. The present study aims to examine this impact in a general cohort of Swedish young people.
Postal questionnaires were sent out in 1999/2000 to a stratified random sample of the Scania population, Sweden; the response rate was 58 %. All of those who responded at baseline were invited to follow-ups after 5 and 10 years. Employment precariousness was determined based on detailed questions about present employment, previous unemployment, and self-rated risk of future unemployment. Mental health was assessed by GHQ-12. For this study individuals in the age range of 18-34 years at baseline, who were active in the labour market (employed or seeking job) and had submitted complete data from 1999/2000, 2005, and 2010 on employment precariousness and mental health status, were selected (N = 1135).
Forty-two percent of the participants had a precarious employment situation at baseline. Labour market trajectories that included precarious employment in 1999/2000 or 2005 predicted poor mental health in 2010: the incidence ratio ratio was 1.4 (95 % CI: 1.1-2.0) when excluding all individuals with mental health problems at baseline and adjusting for age, gender, social support, social capital, and economic difficulties in childhood. The population attributable fraction regarding poor mental health in the studied age group was 18 %.
This study supported the hypothesis that precarious employment should be regarded as an important social determinant for subsequent development of mental health problems in previously mentally healthy young people.
Objective The aim of this study was to assess the potential to reduce kidney function damage during the implementation of a water, rest, shade (WRS) and efficiency intervention program among ...sugarcane workers. Methods A WRS intervention program adapted from the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) coupled with an efficiency program began two months into the 5-month harvest. One of the two groups of workers studied was provided with portable water reservoirs, mobile shaded tents, and scheduled rest periods. Health data (anthropometric and questionnaires), blood, and urine were collected at baseline and at three subsequent times over the course of the harvest. Daily wet bulb globe temperatures (WBGT) were recorded. Results Across a working day there were changes in biomarkers indicating dehydration (urine osmolality) and serum albumin and reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Cross-shift eGFR decrease was present in both groups; -10.5 mL/min/1.73m^2 95% confidence interval (95% CI) -11.8- -9.1, but smaller for the intervention group after receiving the program. Decreased eGFR over the 5-month harvest was seen in both groups: in the one receiving the intervention -3.4 mL/min/1.73m^2 (95% CI -5.5- -1.3) and in the other -5.3 (95% CI -7.9- -2.7). The decrease appeared to halt after the introduction of the intervention in the group receiving the program. Conclusion A WRS and efficiency intervention program was successfully introduced for workers in sugarcane fields and appears to reduce the impact of heat stress on acute and over-harvest biomarkers of kidney function. Further research is needed to determine whether biomarker changes predict reduced risk of chronic kidney disease in this type of work.
This study aimed to investigate the effects of various aspects of night and shift work regarding incident cerebrovascular disease (CeVD).
The cohort included 26 667 women and 3793 men (nurses and ...nursing assistants) who were employed for at least one year 2008-2016 in Region Stockholm, Sweden. Information about the cohort and working hours were obtained from a computerized employee-register and diagnoses were retrieved from national and regional registers. We used discrete time proportional hazard models to assess the risk of CeVD (2009-2017), in relation to work hour characteristics, adjusting for sex, age, country of birth, education and profession.
We observed an excess risk of CeVD (N=223) among employees who, during the preceding year, worked night shifts >30 times hazard ratio (HR) 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.99 or ≥3 consecutive night shifts >15 times (HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.18-2.42) or with >30 quick returns (<28 hours) from night shifts (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.10-2.10) compared to those who did not work nights. We also observed an excess risk among employees with a long duration (>5 years) of exposure to night shift work (HR 1.87, 95% CI 1.27-2.77), all supported by a dose-response pattern.
Our results show that the risk of CeVD among nurses and nursing assistants is associated with night shift work. The number of years with night shift work, the frequency of night shifts per year, the frequency of consecutive night shifts, and short recovery after night shifts influenced the risk. Work schedules aiming at minimizing these aspects of night shift work may reduce the risk.
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