Modern Health Worries, Subjective Health Complaints, Health Care Utilization, and Sick Leave in the Norwegian Working Population

Indregard, Anne-Marthe Rustad; Ihlebæk, Camilla; Eriksen, Hege R.

doi:10.1007/s12529-012-9246-1

Cited by 49 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…No significant association was found with prevalence of medication, registered or unprescribed. Results are generally in line with the existing body of evidence in this field [2,17,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Furthermore, a strong association was found between MHW and general perceived environmental sensitivity, with the latter being a statistical mediator of the relation between worries and the examined outcomes in the present analyses.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…A growing body of studies has shown an association between MHW and several health and behavioral outcomes such as self-reported NSPS, healthcare utilization, use of alternative medicine, health anxiety, somatosensory amplification, depression and lower health-related quality of life [2,13,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. The exact role though of worries in the context of environmental health has not been settled.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The relationship of modern health worries to non-specific physical symptoms and perceived environmental sensitivity: A study combining self-reported and general practice data

Baliatsas

Kamp

Hooiveld

et al. 2015

Journal of Psychosomatic Research

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a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oObjective: The present study investigates the association of modern health worries (MHW) with self-reported as well as general practitioner (GP)-registered non-specific physical symptoms (NSPS), medication use, alternative therapy consultations, sleep quality and quality of life. The interrelation between MHW, general environmental sensitivity and the aforementioned outcomes is also explored. Methods: Self-reported questionnaires and data from electronic medical records from 21 general practices in The Netherlands were combined in a sample of 5933 adult participants. Results: The majority of the participants reported increased worries about potential health effects from environmental exposures. The highest worry scores were reported by people who perceived themselves as more vulnerable to environmental stressors. After adjustment for socio-demographic characteristics and diagnosed psychiatric morbidity, higher MHW were significantly associated with increased self-reported prevalence and duration of NSPS, symptom-related healthcare utilization, GP-registered NSPS, alternative therapy consultations and lower sleep quality and quality of life. These associations were statistically mediated by perceived environmental sensitivity. No association was observed between worries and GP-registered medication prescriptions. Conclusion: Modern health worries are very common in the general population. They are associated with self-reported as well as clinically defined NSPS and as such might play a key role in the process of developing and maintaining environmental sensitivities and related symptoms. A large cross-cultural longitudinal study would help to determine important aspects such as temporal precedence and stability of MHW and the relevant psychosocial context within which symptomatic conditions occur.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship of modern health worries to non-specific physical symptoms and perceived environmental sensitivity: A study combining self-reported and general practice data

Baliatsas

Kamp

Hooiveld

et al. 2015

Journal of Psychosomatic Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Most cases of LBP are categorized as nonspecific, as opposed to nerve root or serious spinal pathology (Henschke et al 2009). Nonspecific conditions with no clear somatic pathology and a high degree of comorbidity are prevalent in the general population, as illustrated in several European studies (Indregard et al 2012;Roelen et al 2010). We refer to these conditions as Subjective Health Complaints (SHC).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Cortisol, Health, and Coping in Patients with Nonspecific Low Back Pain

Sveinsdottir

Eriksen

Ursin

et al. 2015

Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback

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Subjective health complaints (SHC), including nonspecific low back pain (LBP) as the most common single complaint, are the main reasons for long-term sick leave in many western countries. These complaints are often attributed to "stress". Cortisol has frequently been considered a biomarker reflecting sustained physiological HPA-axis activity, and is characterized by a high cortisol awakening response (CAR) and low evening values. The aim of the study was to investigate whether LBP patients had a normal characteristic cortisol profile, and whether possible deviations were related to coping and health. 305 patients on long-term sick leave for LBP participated in the study, and saliva cortisol profiles were compared to a reference population consisting of Danish workers. Cortisol was measured upon awakening, after 30 min, and in the evening. Additionally, patients answered questionnaires about SHC, fatigue, pain, coping, and social support. The patients showed a seemingly normal cortisol profile. However, CAR was larger among patients compared to the reference population. Patients with low cortisol reactivity had more SHC, pain, and fatigue, and those with higher evening cortisol reported higher scores on coping. The results are discussed in terms of theory, practical considerations, and possible mechanisms for the association between cortisol, health, and coping.

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“…Subjective health complaints (SHC), such as musculoskeletal and mental health complaints, have a high prevalence in the general population [1, 2]. SHC refers to complaints without a pathophysiological explanation or where the pathological findings are disproportionate to the illness experience [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protocol for the atWork trial: a randomised controlled trial of a workplace intervention targeting subjective health complaints

et al. 2016

Self Cite

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BackgroundSubjective health complaints, such as musculoskeletal and mental health complaints, have a high prevalence in the general population, and account for a large proportion of sick leave in Norway. It may be difficult to prevent the occurrence of subjective health complaints, but it may be possible to influence employees’ perception and management of these complaints, which in turn may have impact on sick leave and return to work after sick leave. Long term sick leave has many negative health and social consequences, and it is important to gain knowledge about effective interventions to prevent and reduce long term sick leave.Methods/DesignThis study is a cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effect of the modified atWork intervention, targeting non-specific musculoskeletal complaints and mental health complaints. This intervention will be compared to the original atWork intervention targeting only non-specific musculoskeletal complaints. Kindergartens in Norway are invited to participate in the study and will be randomly assigned to one of the two interventions. Estimated sample size is 100 kindergartens, with a total of approximately 1100 employees. Primary outcome is sick leave at unit level, measured using register data from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration. One kindergarten equals one unit, regardless of number of employees. Secondary outcomes will be measured at the individual level and include coping, health, job satisfaction, social support, and workplace inclusion, collected through questionnaires distributed at baseline and at 12 months follow up. All employees in the included kindergartens are eligible for participating in the survey.DiscussionThe effect evaluation of the modified atWork intervention is a large and comprehensive project, providing evidence-based information on prevention of long-term sick leave, which may be of considerable benefit both from a societal, organisational, and individual perspective.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov: NCT02396797. Registered March 23th, 2015.

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Modern Health Worries, Subjective Health Complaints, Health Care Utilization, and Sick Leave in the Norwegian Working Population

Cited by 49 publications

References 22 publications

The relationship of modern health worries to non-specific physical symptoms and perceived environmental sensitivity: A study combining self-reported and general practice data

The relationship of modern health worries to non-specific physical symptoms and perceived environmental sensitivity: A study combining self-reported and general practice data

Cortisol, Health, and Coping in Patients with Nonspecific Low Back Pain

Protocol for the atWork trial: a randomised controlled trial of a workplace intervention targeting subjective health complaints

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