Measurement quality and validity of the “need for recovery scale”

Abstract

The "need for recovery scale" is suggested as an operationalisation for the measurement of (early symptoms of) fatigue at work. Definition of and background on the concept of need for recovery are briefly discussed. Details about scale construction are summarised. Correlations with other relevant measurement scales on fatigue at work are presented to validate the operationalisation claim, as are early results on predictive validity. A study is presented that further investigates the measurement quality and validity of the scale. The data used in this study were collected by Occupational Health Services for 68 775 workers during the period 1996-2000. Comparing the measurement quality of subgroups (Cronbach's alpha) differing in terms of age class, sex, and education level, the general applicability of the scale was shown. The validity of the scale was studied by analysing its association with psychosocial risk factors. Multiple regression analyses of need for recovery were performed on individual and department level data, using 10 psychosocial job characteristics as independent variables. The two most important factors in the explanation of variance at the individual level were also dominant at the department level: pace and amount of work, and emotional workload. The percentage of explained variance was higher at the department level than at the individual level, and increased with department size. Results suggest that the need for recovery scale is an adequate scale, both for applications at the individual and at the group (department/organisation) level.

Development of Japanese Version of the Checklist Individual Strength Questionnaire in a Working Population

“…The need for recovery is a measure of acute-workrelated fatigue 30) . Under conditions of prolonged exposure to work-related stressors and insufficient recovery, acute fatigue is assumed to lead to cumulative health deterioration and sick leave.…”

The Recovery Experience Questionnaire: Development and validation of a measure for assessing recuperation and unwinding from work.

“…We used a 7-point re- sponse scale from 1 (almost always) to 7 (never) that was reversed for correlational analysis. Need for recovery was measured with 11 items (van Veldhoven & Broersen, 2003;e.g., "At the end of a working day I am really feeling worn-out") using a 4-point scale from 1 (never) to 4 (always). For measuring life satisfaction we used five items from the Satisfaction With Life Scale (Diener et al, 1985;e.g., "In most ways my life is close to my ideals") to be answered on a 7-point scale from 1 (fully disagree) to 7 (fully agree).…”

Exercise to reduce work-related fatigue among employees: a randomized controlled trial

“…A sum score ≥22 signifies high overall fatigue (32). Need for recovery is meant to represent short-term work-related fatigue (35). Conceptually, it bridges the stage between fatigue that occurs after one effortful workday and serious long-term workrelated fatigue, such as burnout (35).…”