Utility of an online well-being assessment in targeting employee well-being programmes: a cross-sectional survey study in Finland.

Objectives: Occupational health challenges are changing, emphasising the need for a more comprehensive approach. This study examines how a subjective well-being assessment can be used to identify target groups for work well-being interventions and brings insight into how survey-based well-being evaluations are linked to clinical health indicators (ie, anthropometric measurements and blood tests).

Design: A cross-sectional survey study using results from the Virta1 randomised controlled trial and a third-party well-being questionnaire database.

Pairwise association of key lifestyle factors and risk of solid cancers - A prospective pooled multi-cohort register study.

Smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and physical inactivity are key lifestyle risk factors for cancer. Previously these have been mostly examined singly or combined as an index, assuming independent and equivalent effects to cancer risk. The aim of our study was to systematically examine the joint pairwise and interactive effects of these lifestyle factors on the risk of a first solid primary cancer in a multi-cohort prospective setting.

What is wellness? Investigating the importance of different domains of wellness among laypeople and experts: A survey study.

Aims: Lack of consensus on wellness has led to a vast number of different conceptualisations, which hinder international efforts to monitor individual-level wellness and social progress comparably. This study aimed to aid in the harmonisation of the concept by contributing to the scarce research on laypeople's views on wellness. The study investigates whether the importance of different areas of wellness varies depending on age, gender, education or socio-economic position.

Building Consensus on Domains of Wellness Using Finnish and International Expert Panels: A Delphi-Method Study.

Purpose: The paper investigates whether we can build consensus on wellness domains and create a more universal conceptual framework for wellness.

Design: A modified ranking type of Delphi method.

Participants: Two separate panels consisting of 23 Finnish and 11 international experts.

Pairwise association of key lifestyle factors and risk of colorectal cancer: a prospective pooled multicohort study.

Background: Several lifestyle factors are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Although lifestyle factors co-occur, in most previous studies these factors have been studied focusing upon a single risk factor or assuming independent effects between risk factors.

Aim: To examine the pairwise effects and interactions of smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and body mass index (BMI) with risk of subsequent colorectal cancer (CRC).

Weight change among normal weight, overweight and obese employees and subsequent diagnosis-specific sickness absence: A register-linked follow-up study.

Obesity and weight change are associated with sickness absence; however, less is known about the diagnoses for sickness absence. We examined the association between stable and changing weight by body mass index groups with sickness absence due to any, musculoskeletal and mental diagnoses among midlife female and male employees. The Finnish Helsinki Health Study phase 1 survey took place in 2000-2002 (response rate 67%) and phase 2 in 2007 (response rate 83%).

Lifestyle and cancer-a joint pairwise association of lifestyle habits with subsequent cancer diagnosis.

Background: Unhealthy behaviours increase cancer risk. However, lifestyle habits co-occur and their joint association with cancer is not known.

Methods: A survey among midlife employees included data on lifestyle habits and covariates (N = 8960, response rate 67%, 80% women).

The joint associations of smoking and obesity with subsequent short and long sickness absence: a five year follow-up study with register-linkage.

Background: Both smoking and obesity are separately associated with sickness absence. Unhealthy lifestyle habits and health conditions may occur concurrently yet studies focusing on their joint association are few. This study examined the joint associations of smoking and obesity with sickness absence (SA).

Obesity, change of body mass index and subsequent physical and mental health functioning: a 12-year follow-up study among ageing employees.

Background: Studies suggest an association between weight change and subsequent poor physical health functioning, whereas the association with mental health functioning is inconsistent. We aimed to examine whether obesity and change of body mass index among normal weight, overweight and obese women and men associate with changes in physical and mental health functioning.

Methods: The Helsinki Health Study cohort includes Finnish municipal employees aged 40 to 60 in 2000-02 (phase 1, response rate 67%).

Educational differences in disability retirement among young employees in Helsinki, Finland.

Background: Disability retirement (DR) among young employees is an increasing problem affecting work life and public health, given the potential major loss of working time. Little is known about educational differences in the risk of DR among young employees, despite the need for such knowledge in targeting preventive measures. We examined the association between education and DR due to any cause and to mental and non-mental causes among young employees.

Weight change and sickness absence--a prospective study among middle-aged employees.

Background: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of work disability, but studies concerning weight change are few. We examined the associations of weight change with subsequent sickness absence.

Methods: Weight status data of 4164 (83% women) employees of the City of Helsinki were gathered from the Helsinki Health Study baseline survey in 2000-2002 and follow-up survey in 2007.

Working conditions and major weight gain-a prospective cohort study.

The objective of this study was to examine the associations of working conditions with major weight gain. Three different groups of work-related factors were examined: (i) work arrangements, (ii) physical working conditions, and (iii) psychosocial working conditions. The data are based on the Helsinki Health Study (HHS) questionnaire surveys.

Different measures of body weight as predictors of sickness absence.

Aims: Excessive weight is associated with increased sickness absence from work due to obesity-linked health problems. However, it is not known which obesity measure best predicts sickness absence. First, we aimed to compare body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) as predictors of sickness absence spells of various lengths.

Relative weight and disability retirement: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to examine (i) the association of relative weight with subsequent disability retirement due to any diagnosis and also in two major diagnostic groups (ie, musculoskeletal diseases and mental disorders) and (ii) whether diagnosed diseases, physical and mental functioning, and working conditions explain these associations.

Methods: This prospective study comprised a cohort of 6542 middle-aged employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland. Questionnaire data were linked with register data on disability retirements, with a mean follow-up time of 7.