Exploring line managers' perspectives on using data in managing sickness absence: a qualitative study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore line managers' perspectives on data as tool in the management of sickness absence in public sector workplaces in Denmark.

Methods: The study is a qualitative study based on 19 semi-structured interviews with line managers from four public sector workplaces characterized by high levels of sickness absence or poor work environment. The interviews were analysed inductively using thematic analysis.

Exploring the Role of Sickness Absence Coordinators in Implementing Interventions to Reduce Sickness Absence in Public Sector Workplaces in Denmark.

Purpose: In 2019, an initiative to reduce sickness absence in public sector workplaces in Denmark was introduced. The initiative involved appointing a sickness absence coordinator (SA coordinator) to oversee the implementation of workplace-based sickness absence interventions. Since the role of the SA coordinator is a novel concept introduced as part of the initiative, this study investigates the responsibilities of SA coordinators and the challenges they experienced in fulfilling this role during the implementation process.

Associations between saliva alpha-amylase, heart rate variability, saliva cortisol and cognitive performance in individuals at ultra high-risk for psychosis.

Background: Cognitive impairments are present in individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) of psychosis and UHR individuals exhibit a hyperactive and dysfunctional HPA-axis. Increasing stress levels could potentially lead to cognitive impairments and no previous studies have examined the association between physiological stress biomarkers and cognition in UHR individuals. This study aims to examine the association between saliva alpha amylase (SAA), heart rate variability (HRV), saliva cortisol, and cognition in UHR individuals.

A longitudinal study on physiological stress in individuals at ultra high-risk of psychosis.

Introduction: Individuals at ultra high-risk (UHR) of psychosis exhibit significantly higher stress levels than healthy controls (HC). This study investigates how physiological stress measures differ between HC and UHR individuals and how physiological stress is associated with attenuated psychotic symptoms and changes over time in UHR individuals. Additionally, it examines how the use of medication affects physiological levels of stress.

Do different job demands interact as predictors of long-term sickness absence? A register-based follow-up on 55 467 Danish workers.

Objectives: To assess interactions between combinations of quantitative demands, emotional demands, unclear and contradictory demands, and violence/threats of violence in the prospective association with risk of long-term sickness absence (LTSA).

Methods: We included 55 467 employees from the 2012, 2014 and 2016 waves of the Work Environment and Health in Denmark (WEHD) survey. We measured the four independent variables in the WEHD survey and assessed risk of LTSA in a national register during 12 months of follow-up.

Self-Reported Sleepiness after 2, 4, and 7 Consecutive Night Shifts and Recovery Days in Danish Police Officers.

Background: Night shift work often implies shorter sleep duration and this can lead to sleepiness, which has been associated with an increased risk of accidents and injuries. The aim is to study how the number of consecutive night shifts affects self-reported sleepiness.

Participants And Methods: The study was a quasi-experimental, within-subject crossover study with 73 police officers.

Heart rate variability during sleep after two, four and seven consecutive night shifts and recovery days: a cross-over intervention study.

Objective: Recovery after shift work is an important part reducing the health problems related to shift work. Heart rate variability (HRV) is an indicator of the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic activity in the autonomic nervous system and can be used as a measure of recovery after night shifts. The aim of the study is to investigate autonomic recovery during sleep in response to night work in a crossover intervention study.

The urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin level after three different work schedules with 2, 4 and 7 consecutive night shifts among Danish police officers.

Night shift work suppresses excretion of melatonin, but little is known about the needed time for recovery. We aimed to compare levels of 6-sulfatoxy melatonin after three different night shift schedules, including recovery days. In a quasi-experimental, within-subject crossover study, 73 male police officers in Denmark collected morning urine after the last recovery day in three different work schedules with two, four, and seven consecutive night shifts followed by a corresponding number of days for recovery.

Leadership Quality and Risk of Long-term Sickness Absence Among 53,157 Employees of the Danish Workforce.

Objective: To examine whether low leadership quality predicts long-term sickness absence (LTSA) in Denmark.

Methods: Using Cox models, we estimated the association between exposure to low leadership quality and onset of register based LTSA (more than or equal to 6 weeks) during 12-months follow-up among 53,157 employees without previous LTSA.

Results: During 51,155 person-years, we identified 2270 cases of LTSA.

The effects of the number of consecutive night shifts on sleep duration and quality.

Objectives The organization of night shift work affects sleep duration and quality. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the number of consecutive night shifts on sleep duration and quality among police officers with night shift work as part of their normal schedule. Methods This quasi-experimental, within-subject crossover study included 73 police officers.

Comparison of exhaustion symptoms in patients with stress-related and other psychiatric and somatic diagnoses.

Background: Several rating scales assessing stress-related symptoms of exhaustion have emerged in recent years. However, more knowledge is needed about the performance of these rating scales in patients with stress-related disorders as well as in other patient groups. With the recently developed Karolinska Exhaustion Disorder Scale (KEDS), we compared symptoms of exhaustion in different patient groups that were sorted according to diagnosis.

Perceived stress and sickness absence: a prospective study of 17,795 employees in Denmark.

Objectives: The aims were to examine (1) the prospective association between perceived stress and sickness absence, and if this association (2) differed by sex, and (3) was stronger when only long-term sickness absence (≥ 31 days) instead of all-length sickness absence (≥ 1 day) was included. Moreover, different cut-points for the length of the sickness absence periods were applied.

Methods: We followed respondents (10,634 women and 7161 men) from the 'Work Environment and Health in Denmark' 2014-survey for up to 18 months in the 'Register of Work Absences' from Statistics Denmark.

The association between multisite musculoskeletal pain and cardiac autonomic modulation during work, leisure and sleep - a cross-sectional study.

Background: The prevention and rehabilitation of multisite musculoskeletal pain would benefit from studies aiming to understand its underlying mechanism. Autonomic imbalance is a suggested mechanism for multisite pain, but hardly been studied during normal daily living. Therefore, the aim of the study is to investigate the association between multisite musculoskeletal pain and cardiac autonomic modulation during work, leisure and sleep.

Opinion and Special Articles: Stress when performing the first lumbar puncture may compromise patient safety.

Objective: To quantify physician stress levels when performing lumbar puncture (LP) and explore operator stress effect on patient outcomes.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, multicenter study. Novices, intermediates, and experts in performing LP were recruited from 4 departments of neurology and emergency medicine.

Content and quality of workplace guidelines developed to prevent mental health problems: results from a systematic review.

Objectives A wide range of guidelines have been developed to prevent work-related mental health problems (MHP), but little is known about the quality of such guidelines. We systematically reviewed the content and quality of workplace guidelines aiming to prevent, detect, and/or manage work-related MHP. Methods We conducted systematic online and database searches (MEDLINE; Web of Science; PsychNET; occupational safety and health databases) to identify guidelines.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss - A Preventable Disease? Results of a 10-Year Longitudinal Study of Workers Exposed to Occupational Noise.

Aims: To survey current, Danish industrial noise levels and the use of hearing protection devices (HPD) over a 10-year period and to characterise the association between occupational noise and hearing threshold shift in the same period. Furthermore, the risk of hearing loss among the baseline and the follow-up populations according to first year of occupational noise exposure is evaluated.

Materials And Methods: In 2001-2003, we conducted a baseline survey of noise- and hearing-related disorders in 11 industries with suspected high noise levels.

Different autonomic responses to occupational and leisure time physical activities among blue-collar workers.

Purpose: The differential effect of occupational and leisure time physical activity on cardiovascular health is termed the physical activity health paradox. Cardiac autonomic modulation could bring insights about the underlying mechanism behind this differential effect. The aim was to compare heart rate variability (HRV) during different activities (sitting, standing and moving) at work and leisure among blue-collar workers.

It is not all bad for the grey city - A crossover study on physiological and psychological restoration in a forest and an urban environment.

Today, urbanization presents a challenge to urban planning with regard to creating healthy living environments. The aim of this research is to gain further knowledge of the restorativeness of a best case urban and natural environment: that is a historic down town urban environment and forest environment located in an arboretum. The study has a cross-over design where 51 (N) female university students are exposed to the two environments through both seated viewing and walking.

Occupational noise exposure, psychosocial working conditions and the risk of tinnitus.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of occupational noise (current and cumulative doses) and psychosocial work factors (psychological demands and decision latitude) on tinnitus occurrence among workers, using objective and non-self-reported exposure measures to prevent reporting bias.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from a Danish survey from 2009 to 2010 that included 534 workers from children day care units and 10 manufacturing trades. Associations between risk factors (current noise exposure, cumulative noise exposure and psychosocial working conditions) and tinnitus were analyzed with logistic regression.

Effect of an aerobic exercise intervention on cardiac autonomic regulation: A worksite RCT among cleaners.

Objective: The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to determine whether aerobic exercise during work hours affects cardiac autonomic regulation in cleaners characterized by high levels of occupational physical activity and poor cardiorespiratory fitness.

Method: Eligible cleaners (n=116) were randomized to an aerobic exercise group (n=59) or a reference group (n=57) with lectures. The intervention group received two 30-min sessions per week of supervised aerobic exercise over 4months.

What is the preferred number of consecutive night shifts? results from a crossover intervention study among police officers in Denmark.

Among police officers in Denmark, we studied (i) how many consecutive night shifts participants preferred at baseline; (ii) preferences regarding three intervention conditions (two, four, and seven consecutive night shifts followed by the same number of days off/day shifts: '2 + 2', '4 + 4', '7 + 7') at follow-up; (iii) characteristics of participants preferring each of these intervention conditions. Questionnaire data from a crossover intervention study were used (baseline: n = 73; follow-up: n = 68). At baseline, 49% preferred four consecutive night shifts.

Changes in the diurnal rhythms of cortisol, melatonin, and testosterone after 2, 4, and 7 consecutive night shifts in male police officers.

Night work is associated with a large range of acute health problems and possibly also health consequences in the long run. Yet, only very few field studies specifically investigate the effects of consecutive night shift on key physiological regulatory systems. In this field study, we investigated the effects of consecutive night shifts on three hormones, melatonin, cortisol, and testosterone, among police officers at work.

Prolonged Sitting is Associated with Attenuated Heart Rate Variability during Sleep in Blue-Collar Workers.

Prolonged sitting is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular diseases and mortality. However, research into the physiological determinants underlying this relationship is still in its infancy. The aim of the study was to determine the extent to which occupational and leisure-time sitting are associated with nocturnal heart rate variability (HRV) in blue-collar workers.

The effect of the number of consecutive night shifts on diurnal rhythms in cortisol, melatonin and heart rate variability (HRV): a systematic review of field studies.

Purpose: The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge from field studies on how many consecutive night shifts are required for adaptation of diurnal rhythms in cortisol, melatonin and heart rate variability (HRV) to night work.

Methods: A systematic search of the databases PubMed and Web of Science resulted in 18 studies selected for review.

Results: Cortisol was measured in five studies, melatonin in 11 studies and HRV in four studies.

The effects of acoustical refurbishment of classrooms on teachers' perceived noise exposure and noise-related health symptoms.

Objectives: To investigate whether acoustical refurbishment of classrooms for elementary and lower secondary grade pupils affected teachers' perceived noise exposure during teaching and noise-related health symptoms.

Methods: Two schools (A and B) with a total of 102 teachers were subjected to an acoustical intervention. Accordingly, 36 classrooms (20 and 16 in school A and school B, respectively) were acoustically refurbished and 31 classrooms (16 and 15 in school A and school B, respectively) were not changed.