Skip to main content
Top
Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 5/2019

Open Access 01-07-2019 | Original Article

Repeated exposure to high ICT demands at work, and development of suboptimal self-rated health: findings from a 4-year follow-up of the SLOSH study

Authors: Magdalena Stadin, Maria Nordin, Anders Broström, Linda L. Magnusson Hanson, Hugo Westerlund, Eleonor I. Fransson

Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health | Issue 5/2019

Login to get access

Abstract

Purpose

The knowledge about the association between Information and Communication Technology (ICT) demands at work and self-rated health (SRH) is insufficient. The aim of this study was to examine the association between repeated exposure to high ICT demands at work, and risk of suboptimal SRH, and to determine modifications by sex or socioeconomic position (SEP).

Methods

A prospective design was used, including repeated measurement of ICT demands at work, measured 2 years apart. SRH was measured at baseline and at follow-up after 4 years. The data were derived from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH), including 4468 gainfully employees (1941 men, 2527 women) with good SRH at baseline.

Results

In the total study sample, repeated exposure to high ICT demands at work was associated with suboptimal SRH at follow-up (OR 1.34 [CI 1.06–1.70]), adjusted for age, sex, SEP, health behaviours, BMI, job strain and social support. An interaction between ICT demands and sex was observed (p = 0.010). The risk was only present in men (OR 1.53 [CI 1.09–2.16]), and not in women (OR 1.17 [CI 0.85–1.62]). The risk of suboptimal SRH after consistently high ICT demands at work was most elevated in participants with high SEP (OR 1.68 [CI 1.02–2.79]), adjusted for age, sex, health behaviours, BMI and job strain. However, no significant interaction between ICT demands and SEP regarding SRH was observed.

Conclusion

Repeated exposure to high ICT demands at work was associated with suboptimal SRH at follow-up, and the association was modified by sex.
Literature
go back to reference Baillargeon J (2001) Characteristics of the healthy worker effect occupational medicine. Philadelphia Pa 16:359–366 Baillargeon J (2001) Characteristics of the healthy worker effect occupational medicine. Philadelphia Pa 16:359–366
go back to reference Barber LK, Jenkins JS (2014) Creating technological boundaries to protect bedtime: examining work–home boundary management, psychological detachment and sleep stress and health. J Int Soc Investig Stress 30:259–264CrossRef Barber LK, Jenkins JS (2014) Creating technological boundaries to protect bedtime: examining work–home boundary management, psychological detachment and sleep stress and health. J Int Soc Investig Stress 30:259–264CrossRef
go back to reference Ellingsæter AL (2014) Skandinavia: De mest kjønnsdelte arbeidsmarkedene? In: Jämställt arbete? Organisatoriska ramar och villkor i arbetslivet (In Swedish). Forskningsrapport till Delegationen för jämställdhet i arbetslivet. SOU 2014 30:9–22 Ellingsæter AL (2014) Skandinavia: De mest kjønnsdelte arbeidsmarkedene? In: Jämställt arbete? Organisatoriska ramar och villkor i arbetslivet (In Swedish). Forskningsrapport till Delegationen för jämställdhet i arbetslivet. SOU 2014 30:9–22
go back to reference Geurts SAE, Sonnentag S (2006) Recovery as an explanatory mechanism in the relation between acute stress reactions and chronic health impairment Scandinavian. J Work Environ Health 32:482–492CrossRef Geurts SAE, Sonnentag S (2006) Recovery as an explanatory mechanism in the relation between acute stress reactions and chronic health impairment Scandinavian. J Work Environ Health 32:482–492CrossRef
go back to reference Johansson-Hidén B, Wästlund E, Wallin S (2003) Reflecting on ICT and stress conceptual connections and suggested application. In: Pettersson JS (ed) Human IT. Karlstad University Studies, Karlstad Johansson-Hidén B, Wästlund E, Wallin S (2003) Reflecting on ICT and stress conceptual connections and suggested application. In: Pettersson JS (ed) Human IT. Karlstad University Studies, Karlstad
go back to reference Karasek R, Theorell T (1992) Healthy work—stress productivity and the reconstruction of working Life. Basic Books, New York Karasek R, Theorell T (1992) Healthy work—stress productivity and the reconstruction of working Life. Basic Books, New York
go back to reference Marmot M (2004) The status syndrome: how social standing affects our health and longevity, 4th edn. Owl Books, Oxford Marmot M (2004) The status syndrome: how social standing affects our health and longevity, 4th edn. Owl Books, Oxford
go back to reference Siegrist J, Klein D, Voigt KH (1997) Linking sociological with physiological data: the model of effort-reward imbalance at work. Acta Physiol Scand 161:112–116 Siegrist J, Klein D, Voigt KH (1997) Linking sociological with physiological data: the model of effort-reward imbalance at work. Acta Physiol Scand 161:112–116
go back to reference Singh-Manoux A, Dugravot A, Shipley MJ, Ferrie JE, Martikainen P, Goldberg M, Zins M (2007a) The association between self-rated health and mortality in different socioeconomic groups in the GAZEL cohort study International. J Epidemiol 36:1222–1228. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dym170 CrossRef Singh-Manoux A, Dugravot A, Shipley MJ, Ferrie JE, Martikainen P, Goldberg M, Zins M (2007a) The association between self-rated health and mortality in different socioeconomic groups in the GAZEL cohort study International. J Epidemiol 36:1222–1228. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1093/​ije/​dym170 CrossRef
go back to reference Stadin M, Nordin M, Brostrom A, Hanson LLM, Westerlund H, Fransson EI (2016) Information and communication technology demands at work: the association with job strain, effort-reward imbalance and self-rated health in different socio-economic strata. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 89:1049–1058. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-016-1140-8 CrossRef Stadin M, Nordin M, Brostrom A, Hanson LLM, Westerlund H, Fransson EI (2016) Information and communication technology demands at work: the association with job strain, effort-reward imbalance and self-rated health in different socio-economic strata. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 89:1049–1058. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s00420-016-1140-8 CrossRef
go back to reference Statistics Sweden (2014) Teknisk Rapport - En beskrivning av genomförande och metoder SLOSH 2014 (In Swedish). Örebro Statistics Sweden (2014) Teknisk Rapport - En beskrivning av genomförande och metoder SLOSH 2014 (In Swedish). Örebro
go back to reference Sullivan M, Karlsson J, Ware JE Jr (1995) The Swedish SF-36 Health Survey—I. Evaluation of data quality, scaling assumptions, reliability and construct validity across general populations in Sweden Soc Sci Med 41(1982):1349–1358CrossRef Sullivan M, Karlsson J, Ware JE Jr (1995) The Swedish SF-36 Health Survey—I. Evaluation of data quality, scaling assumptions, reliability and construct validity across general populations in Sweden Soc Sci Med 41(1982):1349–1358CrossRef
go back to reference Swedish Work Environment Authority (2015b) The Work Environment 2015. Stockholm Swedish Work Environment Authority (2015b) The Work Environment 2015. Stockholm
Metadata
Title
Repeated exposure to high ICT demands at work, and development of suboptimal self-rated health: findings from a 4-year follow-up of the SLOSH study
Authors
Magdalena Stadin
Maria Nordin
Anders Broström
Linda L. Magnusson Hanson
Hugo Westerlund
Eleonor I. Fransson
Publication date
01-07-2019
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health / Issue 5/2019
Print ISSN: 0340-0131
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1246
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-019-01407-6

Other articles of this Issue 5/2019

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 5/2019 Go to the issue