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International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

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01-04-2014 | Original Article

Validating abbreviated measures of effort-reward imbalance at work in European cohort studies: the IPD-Work consortium

Authors: Johannes Siegrist, Nico Dragano, Solja T. Nyberg, Thorsten Lunau, Lars Alfredsson, Raimund Erbel, Göran Fahlén, Marcel Goldberg, Karl-Heinz Jöckel, Anders Knutsson, Constanze Leineweber, Linda L. Magnusson Hanson, Maria Nordin, Reiner Rugulies, Jürgen Schupp, Archana Singh-Manoux, Töres Theorell, Gert G. Wagner, Hugo Westerlund, Marie Zins, Katriina Heikkilä, Eleonor I. Fransson, Mika Kivimäki

Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health | Issue 3/2014

Abstract

Background

Effort-reward imbalance (ERI) is an established conceptualisation of work stress. Although a validated effort-reward questionnaire is available for public use, many epidemiological studies adopt shortened scales and proxy measures. To examine the agreement between different abbreviated measures and the original instrument, we compared different versions of the effort-reward scales available in 15 European cohort studies participating in the IPD-Work (Individual-participant-data meta-analysis in working populations) consortium.

Methods

Five of the 15 studies provide information on the original (‘complete’) scales measuring ‘effort’ and ‘reward’, whereas the 10 remaining studies used ‘partial’ scales. To compare different versions of the ERI scales, we analyse individual-level data from 31,790 participants from the five studies with complete scales.

Results

Pearson’s correlation between partial and complete scales was very high in case of ‘effort’ (where 2 out of 3 items were used) and very high or high in case of ‘reward’, if at least 4 items (out of 7) were included. Reward scales composed of 3 items revealed good to satisfactory agreement, and in one case, a reward scale consisting of 2 items only demonstrated a modest, but still acceptable degree of agreement. Sensitivity and specificity of a composite measure, the ratio of effort and reward, comparing partial versus complete scales ranged between 59–93 and 85–99 %, respectively. Complete and partial scales were strongly associated with poor self-rated health.

Conclusion

Our results support the notion that short proxy measures or partial versions of the original scales can be used to assess effort-reward imbalance.

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Title: Validating abbreviated measures of effort-reward imbalance at work in European cohort studies: the IPD-Work consortium
Authors: Johannes Siegrist
Nico Dragano
Solja T. Nyberg
Thorsten Lunau
Lars Alfredsson
Raimund Erbel
Göran Fahlén
Marcel Goldberg
Karl-Heinz Jöckel
Anders Knutsson
Constanze Leineweber
Linda L. Magnusson Hanson
Maria Nordin
Reiner Rugulies
Jürgen Schupp
Archana Singh-Manoux
Töres Theorell
Gert G. Wagner
Hugo Westerlund
Marie Zins
Katriina Heikkilä
Eleonor I. Fransson
Mika Kivimäki
Publication date: 01-04-2014
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health / Issue 3/2014
Print ISSN: 0340-0131
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1246
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-013-0855-z

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Validating abbreviated measures of effort-reward imbalance at work in European cohort studies: the IPD-Work consortium

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

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