Biomedical subjects

Karl Bang Christensen

Publications and source records attributed to Karl Bang Christensen.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Depressive symptoms and the risk of long-term sickness absence: a prospective study among 4747 employees in Denmark.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of depressive symptoms on long-term sickness absence in a representative sample of the Danish workforce. METHODS: This prospective study is based on 4,747 male and female employees, participating in the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study. Depressive symptoms were measured at baseline. Data on sickness absence were obtained from a national register on social transfer payments. Onset of long-term sickness absence was followed up for 78 weeks. RESULTS: The cumulative 78 weeks incidence for the onset of long-term sickness absence was 6.5% in men and 8.9% in women. Both men and women with severe depressive symptoms (<or=52 points) were at increased risk of long-term sickness absence during follow-up (men: HR=2.69; 95% CI: 1.18, 6.12; women: HR=2.27; 95% CI: 1.25, 4.11), after adjustment for demographic, health related, and lifestyle factors. When we divided the depressive symptom scores into quartiles, we found no significant effects with regard to long-term sickness absence. CONCLUSIONS: Severe depressive symptoms, as measured with the MHI-5, increased the risk of future long-term sickness absence in the general Danish working population. However, effects were not linear, but occurred mostly only in those employees with high levels of depressive symptoms.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

[Physically demanding work increases the risk of long-term sickness absence].

In the year 2000, 5357 employees were interviewed on physical work environment and various co-variates. They were followed for 18 months in order to identify people receiving sickness benifits for eight weeks or more. 348 persons (7%) developed long-term sickness. 56% were women. Risk of long-term sickness absence was increased by extreme bending or twisting of the neck or back, working mainly standing or squatting, lifting or carrying loads, and pushing or pulling loads. Three significant interactions of physical and psychosocial work environment risk factors were found among women.

English Abstract↗

PubMed2006

Physical work environment risk factors for long term sickness absence: prospective findings among a cohort of 5357 employees in Denmark.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of physical work environment on long term sickness absence and to investigate interaction between physical and psychosocial risk factors. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective cohort study of long term sickness absence among employees in Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: 5357 employees interviewed in 2000 about their physical work environment, and various covariates were followed for 18 months in a national sickness absence register. Outcome measurements Cox regression analysis was performed to assess risk estimates for physical risk factors in the work environment and onset of long term sickness absence, defined as receiving sickness absence compensation for eight consecutive weeks or more. RESULTS: 348 participants (6.9%) developed long term sickness absence during follow-up. Of these, 194 (55.7%) were women and 154 (44.3%) were men. For both female and male employees, risk of onset of long term sickness absence was increased by extreme bending or twisting of the neck or back, working mainly standing or squatting, lifting or carrying loads, and pushing or pulling loads. Significant interactions were found for three combinations of physical and psychosocial work environment risk factors among female employees (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Uncomfortable working positions, lifting or carrying loads, and pushing or pulling loads increased the risk of onset of long term sickness absence. The study shows a potential for reducing long term sickness absence through modifying work postures straining the neck and back, reducing the risk of work done standing or walking, and reducing the risk associated with handling loads. Dealing with psychosocial stressors simultaneously may improve physical intervention efforts further for female employees.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed2006

From Rasch scores to regression.

Rasch models provide a framework for measurement and modelling latent variables. Having measured a latent variable in a population a comparison of groups will often be of interest. For this purpose the use of observed raw scores will often be inadequate because these lack interval scale properties. This paper compares two approaches to group comparison: linear regression models using estimated person locations as outcome variables and latent regression models based on the distribution of the score.

Denmark↗

PubMed2006

Fitting polytomous Rasch models in SAS.

The item parameters of a polytomous Rasch model can be estimated using marginal and conditional approaches. This paper describes how this can be done in SAS (V8.2) for three item parameter estimation procedures: marginal maximum likelihood estimation, conditional maximum likelihood estimation, and pairwise conditional estimation. The use of the procedures for extensions of the Rasch model is also discussed. The accuracy of the methods are evaluated using a simulation study.

Humans↗

PubMed2005

The effect on human eye blink frequency of exposure to limonene oxidation products and methacrolein.

Oxidation products of terpenes (e.g. limonene) contain unidentified irritants, which may be responsible for a fraction of the reported eye and airway complaints in indoor environments. Here we report exposure to parts per billion (ppb) levels of limonene oxidation products (LOPs) and the terpene oxidation product methacrolein using blink frequency (BF) as a measure of trigeminal stimulation of the human eye. Ten male subjects averaging 43 (standard deviation 10.5) years were exposed for 20 min to LOPs, methacrolein, and clean air, respectively. A baseline BF was measured prior to and following each exposure (8 min and 4 min, respectively). The subjects were exposed locally in the non-dominant eye and single blind at 20% relative humidity (RH), while viewing an educational film. Blinking was video recorded and evaluated for full sessions of 36 min. Mean BF increased significantly during exposure to LOPs and methacrolein compared to the baseline of clean air, and the findings coincided with weak eye irritation symptoms. Lowest observed effect levels were 286 ppb methacrolein and a 10-min-old LOPs mixture of initially 92 ppb limonene and 101 ppb ozone (O3), which increased the BF comparably by 18% (p=0.001) and 17% (p=0.003), respectively. The increase in BF was smaller, although not significantly different, during exposure to LOPs at 50% RH to 20% RH in mixtures prepared from ca. 350 ppb limonene and 300 ppb O3. LOPs may cause trigeminal stimulation and possibly eye irritation at O3 and limonene concentrations, which are close to high-end values measured in indoor settings. The effects may be exacerbated by low RH.

Acrolein↗

PubMed2005

Workplace levels of psychosocial factors as prospective predictors of registered sickness absence.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate whether workplace levels of psychosocial work environment factors predict individual sickness absence. METHODS: Data were collected in a prospective study in 52 Danish workplaces in three organizations: municipal care, technical services, and a pharmaceutical company. Psychosocial factors were aggregated as workplace means. We used multilevel Poisson regression models with psychosocial factors as predictors and individual level sickness absence from absence registries as outcome. RESULTS: High workplace levels of decision authority predicted low sickness absence in the technical services (rate ratio = 0.66, 95% confidence interval = 0.51-0.86) and high workplace levels of skill discretion predicted low sickness absence in the pharmaceutical company (rate ratio = 0.74, 95% confidence interval = 0.62-0.88) after control for relevant confounders. Workplaces in municipal care did not differ with respect to the psychosocial factors. CONCLUSIONS: Psychosocial factors at the workplace level may be important predictors of sickness absence.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed2005

Psychosocial work environment exposures as risk factors for long-term sickness absence among Danish employees: results from DWECS/DREAM.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines effects of psychosocial risk factors on long-term sickness absence, and investigates possible interactions between psychosocial and physical work environment risk factors. METHODS: A total of 5,357 employees were interviewed in 2000 regarding work environment and followed up during the proceeding 1.5 years regarding onset of long-term sickness absence. RESULTS: Long-term sickness absence among female employees was associated with role conflict, low reward, and poor management quality. Demands for hiding emotions and high emotional demands predicted long-term sickness absence among men. No significant interactions between psychosocial and physical exposures were found for female or male employees. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests a potential for reducing long-term sickness absence through interventions targeted toward reducing role conflict, and improving reward and management quality among female employees, and through reducing emotional demands and demands for hiding emotions among male employees.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Psychosocial work characteristics as predictors for burnout: findings from 3-year follow up of the PUMA Study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of psychosocial work characteristics on burnout. METHODS: A total of 1772 participants in different human service sector organizations were eligible for the cross-sectional analyses (baseline) and 952 for the prospective analyses. We measured 14 psychosocial work characteristics and three types of burnout. Linear regression models were used for analyzing associations between psychosocial work characteristics at baseline and burnout at baseline and at 3 years of follow up. RESULTS: Low possibilities for development, high meaning of work, low predictability, high quality of leadership, low role clarity, and high role conflicts predicted burnout at 3 years of follow up after the psychosocial work characteristics were adjusted for each other, potential confounders, and burnout level at baseline. CONCLUSION: Psychosocial work characteristics were prospectively associated with burnout, suggesting that improving the psychosocial work environment may reduce future burnout in human service work.

Adult↗