Information and communication technology demands at work: the association with job strain, effort-reward imbalance and self-rated health in different socio-economic strata

Evaluating the association between effort-reward imbalance and suboptimal health status among hospital nurses: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

Occupational stress is a common complaint in nurses, who perceived more sense of effort-reward imbalance (ERI). Suboptimal health status (SHS) is a state between health and disease. However, the correlation between ERI and SHS is unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of SHS and ERI and evaluate the relationship between ERI and SHS in clinical nurses by a cross-sectional study.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The current cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey at Dongping People's Hospital in China. A total of 633 completed surveys were received. Effort-reward imbalance was measured by subscales of the ERI questionnaire. SHS was measured by the Suboptimal Health Status Questionnaire - 25 (SHSQ-25). The relationship between ERI and SHS in nurses was subsequently assessed by Spearman's correlation coefficient and logistic regression model.

RESULTS

The mean age of the optimal health status (OHS) group (M±SD 26.3±7.3 years) was younger than the SHS group (M±SD 30.3±6.9 years). The prevalence of SHS was 54.5% (345/633). Female nurses aged ≥30 years, a junior college or university graduate educational level, smokers, and nurses without regular exercise were at a higher risk of SHS. In Spearman's correlation analysis, ERI reflected by the effort-reward ratio was correlated with SHSQ-25 score (r = 0.662, p < 0.001). In logistic regression, ERI was strongly associated with SHS after potential confounding factors adjusting (OR 27.924, 95% CI 22.845-34.132).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of SHS was significantly high in clinical nurses. Administrators should pay more attention to health status of female nurses aged ≥30 years, with a junior college or bachelor's degree, smoking, and without regular exercise to reduce the SHS and ERI. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(2):166-75.

Mindfully and confidently digital: A mixed methods study on personal resources to mitigate the dark side of digital working

A growing body of research demonstrates the potential of mindfulness to reduce employee stress. However, with work increasingly migrating from the physical to the digital workplace, evidence is lacking on how mindfulness might help employees live healthy digital working lives. In addition, employees' confidence when using the digital workplace is seen as important for productivity but may also play a role in reducing well-being impacts from digital working. Using the Job-Demands Resources model as a theoretical foundation, 142 workers were surveyed regarding their levels of trait mindfulness and digital workplace confidence, along with their experiences of the dark side effects (stress, overload, anxiety, Fear of Missing Out and addiction) and well-being outcomes (burnout and health). 14 workers were also interviewed to provide qualitative insights on these constructs. Results from regression analyses indicated that more digitally confident workers were less likely to experience digital workplace anxiety, while those with higher mindfulness were better protected against all of the dark side of digital working effects. Interview data indicated ways in which digital mindfulness helps protect well-being, as well as how digital workplace confidence enables healthier digital habits.

Stress at Work and Well-being Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A 1-Year Longitudinal Study in Switzerland

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study is to analyze the development of conditions at work and health-related variables (notably exhaustion) in Switzerland longitudinally before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Questionnaire data were collected from a population-based sample of 1,553 employees in February 2020 and 1 year later. Health and well-being associated with ( a ) working conditions in general and ( b ) COVID-19-specific predictors such as worries about being infected and conditions for working at home were analyzed using analysis of (co)variance and multiple regression.

RESULTS

Conditions at work and well-being were stable overall, even indicating slight improvements, notably for men compared with women. Both an index representing stressors and resources at work in general (Job Stress Index) and a COVID-19-related demand index showed consistent effects on health and the effect of COVID-19-related demands was stronger if the Job Stress Index deteriorated than when it improved.

Can welfare states buffer technostress? Income and technostress in the context of various OECD countries

Many workers are experiencing the downsides of being exposed to an overload of information and communication technology (ICT), highlighting the need for resources to cope with the resulting technostress. This article offers a novel cross-level perspective on technostress by examining how the context of the welfare state influences the relationship between income and technostress. Showing that individuals with higher income experience less technostress, this study argues that the welfare state represents an additional coping resource, in particular in the form of unemployment benefits. Since unemployment benefits insure income earners in the case of job loss, the negative effect of income on technostress should increase with higher levels of unemployment generosity. In line with these expectations, empirical results based on original survey data collected in collaboration with the OECD show that the impact of income on technostress varies across welfare state contexts. Implications for public health and policymakers are being discussed.

Associations of perceived changes in work due to digitalization and the amount of digital work with job strain among physicians: a national representative sample

BACKGROUND

Physicians' work is often stressful. The digitalization of healthcare aims to streamline work, but not all physicians have experienced its realization. We examined associations of perceived changes in work due to digitalization and the amount of digital work with job strain among physicians. The moderating role of the length of work experience was investigated for these associations.

METHODS

We used representative survey data on Finnish physicians' (N = 4271) experiences of digitalization from 2021. The independent variables included perceptions on statements about work transformations aligned with digitalization goals, and the extent that information systems and teleconsultations were utilized. Stress related to information systems (SRIS), time pressure, and psychological stress were the dependent variables. We analyzed the associations using multivariable linear and logistic regressions.

RESULTS

Respondents had a mean SRIS score of 3.5 and a mean time pressure score of 3.7 on a scale of 1-5. Psychological stress was experienced by 60%. Perceptions associated with higher SRIS comprised disagreements with statements asserting that digitalization accelerates clinical encounters (b = .23 [95% CI: .16-.30]), facilitates access to patient information (b = .15 [.07-.23]), and supports decision-making (b = .11 [.05-.18]). Disagreement with accelerated clinical encounters (b = .12 [.04-.20]), and agreements with patients' more active role in care (b = .11 [.04-.19]) and interprofessional collaboration (b = .10 [.02-.18]) were opinions associated with greater time pressure. Disagreeing with supported decision-making (OR = 1.26 [1.06-1.48]) and agreeing with patients' active role (OR = 1.19 [1.02-1.40]) were associated with greater psychological stress. However, perceiving improvements in the pace of clinical encounters and access to patient information appeared to alleviate job strain. Additionally, extensive digital work was consistently linked to higher strain. Those respondents who held teleconsultations frequently and had less than 6 years of work experience reported the greatest levels of time pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

Physicians seem to be strained by frequent teleconsultations and work that does not meet the goals of digitalization. Improving physicians' satisfaction with digitalization through training specific to the stage of career and system development can be crucial for their well-being. Schedules for digital tasks should be planned and allocated to prevent strain related to achieving the digitalization goals.

The impact of teleworking technostress on satisfaction, anxiety and performance

The aim of the research project is to find out how technostress influences the satisfaction, anxiety and performance of teleworkers and university students. The growth of technology and the use of digital platforms has given rise to a phenomenon called teleworking, a modality of work that involves remote work with the use of ICTs. However, the faster the use of ICTs in organisations grows, the more difficult it becomes for teleworkers, leading to anxiety and stress. This feeling is known as technostress, and knowing its impact on workers is of vital importance for organizational success. The study was conducted through a literature review and the dissemination of an online questionnaire using PLS software. The analysis validated the measurement scale and analysed the structural model at different stages, which confirmed its validity and reliability. The research concludes by affirming the high relationship between technostress, satisfaction, anxiety and performance. It is highlighted that the lower the technostress, the higher the satisfaction and performance, and the higher the technostress, the higher the anxiety and the lower the satisfaction. This research brings as an added value the validation of a scale of technostress together with the variables satisfaction, anxiety and performance not previously analysed by other researches. In addition, the research provides a series of measures to mitigate the effects of technostress and suggests future lines of research. Thus, it highlights the importance of understanding the impact of technostress on teleworkers, to provide effective measures to mitigate it and thus increase the satisfaction and performance of workers.

Occupational Health and Well-being Questionnaire (OHWQ): an instrument to assess psychosocial risk and protective factors in the workplace

OBJECTIVES

Psychosocial stressors at work have been identified as significant risk factors for several mental and physical health problems. These stressors must be compensated by psychosocial resources to prevent or reduce adverse effects on health. Questionnaires measuring these stressors and resources already exist, but none integrate digital stress, ethical culture, and psychosocial safety climate; factors that are increasingly linked to workers' health. This study aims to develop and establish the psychometric properties of one of the most comprehensive instruments measuring the psychosocial work environment to date: the Occupational Health and Well-being Questionnaire (OHWQ).

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional validation study is proposed to develop the OHWQ and document its psychometric properties.

METHODS

The OHWQ was developed from validated instruments to which new items were added. The questionnaire includes psychosocial dimensions, along with indicators of psychological distress, musculoskeletal disorders, and well-being. It was administered to a sample of 2770 participants from a population working in the academic field. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and the calculation of Cronbach's α coefficient were used to identify the variables, items, and, dimensions of the OHWQ and to document its main psychometric properties.

RESULTS

The acceptability of the measurement model was evaluated by the reliability of the items, internal consistency between the items, and the convergent and discriminant validity. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Using factor analyses and cut-off rules, the new instrument has 124 items grouped into 22 dimensions. The OHWQ demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity, as well as reasonable fit indices. The internal consistency of the scales was also good (Cronbach's α = 0.68-0.96, median = 0.85).

CONCLUSION

The OHWQ demonstrated good psychometric properties. It could be useful for both research purposes and for workplaces interested in developing concrete action plans aimed at improving the balance between psychosocial work stressors and resources.

Does the Type of Smartphone Usage Behavior Influence Problematic Smartphone Use and the Related Stress Perception?

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is defined as the inability to control the time spent on smartphones, which has long-term negative impacts on daily life. The use-and-gratifications approach is applied to smartphones and describes the extent to which users devote themselves to smartphones to obtain gratifications. These gratifications can be represented in the types of use (process, social, and habitual). This study examines the associations between PSU and the different types of use and their effects on perceived stress and self-perceived PSU. N = 108 subjects participated (65 women, 41 men, 2 diverse, mean age = 31.8; range 17–70). They completed the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS-19), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), a questionnaire on types of use, and a self-created scale for self-perceived PSU. Multiple linear regressions and correlations were calculated and show a relationship between PSU and perceived stress. All three types of use were shown to be predictors of PSU. For stress perception, only process use is a predictor. Both PSU and stress perception are predictors of the self-perceived PSU. Both stress and PSU interact with each other, and the different types of use determine how stressful smartphone use is perceived to be.

Psychopathological Symptoms and Personality Traits as Predictors of Problematic Smartphone Use in Different Age Groups

The study investigates psychopathological symptoms and the Big Five personality traits as predictors of “problematic smartphone use” (PSU) in different generational groups. The generational groups were selected to analyze whether the different life stages and developmental tasks that need to be completed have an impact on PSU. The groups were divided into digital immigrants, digital natives, and Generation Y and Z as subgroups of digital natives. A total of 399 subjects participated (312 women, 86 men, 1 diverse; mean age = 25.9; range 14–67; 44 digital immigrants, 355 digital natives, 35 Generation Y, and 320 Generation Z). They completed the ICD-10 Symptom Rating (ISR), the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10), and the Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS). The results show differences between digital immigrants and digital natives in the expression of PSU, neuroticism, conscientiousness, depression, anxiety, and compulsivity. Concerning Generations Y and Z, differences were only found in the expression of the PSU. Regression revealed that symptoms for obsessive-compulsive disorders, depression, conscientiousness, and gender were significant predictors of PSU. Moderations have shown that being a digital immigrant/native moderates the impact of eating disorders on PSU. Belonging to Generation Y/Z moderates the influence of conscientiousness and depression on PSU. Thus, it shows that in different generations, different factors seem to play a role in the development and maintenance of PSU.

[Do digital technologies at work impact mental health of employees?]

Hintergrund

Die traditionelle Arbeitsstressforschung identifizierte eine große Zahl von Stressoren. Die Technik als Stressquelle stand dagegen lange nicht im Fokus des Interesses.

Fragestellung

Dieser Artikel beschreibt das Konzept des Technostresses und diskutiert mögliche Risiken und Chancen digitaler Technologien bei der Arbeit und deren Auswirkungen auf die psychische Gesundheit.

Material und Methode

Übersicht zur Konzeptualisierung von Technostress, potenzieller Wirkmechanismen und Zusammenfassung empirischer Ergebnisse zum Einfluss auf die psychische Gesundheit.

Ergebnisse

Bisher wurden mehrere Domänen von Technostress definiert. Obgleich die Evidenzbasis schmal ist und Studien mit methodischen Einschränkungen behaftet sind, so legen erste Ergebnisse zumindest nahe, dass sich bestimmte Arten von technischem Stress bei der Arbeit ungünstig auf die psychische Gesundheit auswirken können. Zugleich können digitale Technologien auch positive Auswirkungen auf das psychische Wohlbefinden von Arbeitnehmern haben, wenn sie z. B. eine bessere Arbeitsorganisation ermöglichen.

Schlussfolgerung

Die Digitalisierung der Arbeit scheint sowohl Chancen als auch Risiken für die psychische Gesundheit der Beschäftigten zu haben. Implikationen für weitere Forschung in diesem sich entwickelnden Feld werden herausgearbeitet.

How Are Techno-Stressors Associated with Mental Health and Work Outcomes? A Systematic Review of Occupational Exposure to Information and Communication Technologies within the Technostress Model

The technostress model has introduced different factors to consider when assessing how information and communication technologies impact individuals in different work settings. This systematic review gathers evidence regarding associations between occupational exposure to technostress and health or work outcomes. In addition, we highlight typical methodological constraints of the technostress model. We conducted electronic literature searches in June 2020 (PubMed, PubMed Central, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycInfo, PsycArticles) and independently screened 321 articles. We report on 21 articles meeting eligibility criteria (working population, technostress exposure, health or work outcome, quantitative design). The most frequently examined techno-stressors, i.e., factors of technostress, were techno-overload and techno-invasion. Techno-stressors were consistently associated with adverse health and work outcomes, apart from a positive impact on work engagement. However, studies may be subject to considerable conceptual overlap between exposure and outcome measures. Future technostress research would benefit from reducing heterogeneity in technostress measures, assessing their external validity and focussing on specific techno-stressors.

Technostress Among Health Professionals - A Multilevel Model and Group Comparisons between Settings and Professions

OBJECTIVE

Health organizations increasingly digitize. However, studies reveal contradictory findings regarding the impact of healthcare information technology on health professionals. Therefore, the aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of technostress among health professionals and elaborate on the influencing factors.

PARTICIPANTS

A secondary analysis was conducted utilizing cross-sectional data from the study, "Work-related stress among health professionals in Switzerland", which included 8,112 health professionals from 163 health organizations in Switzerland.

METHODS

ANOVA for group comparisons followed by post-hoc analyses, along with a Multilevel Model to identify influencing factors for technostress ranging from "0" (never/almost never) to "100" (always), were conducted.

RESULTS

Health professionals experienced moderate technostress (mean 39.06, SD 32.54). Technostress differed between settings (p <.001) and health professions (p < .001). The model explains 18.1% of the variance with fixed effects, or 24.7% of the variance with fixed and random effects. Being a physician (β = 12.96), a nurse (β = 6.49), or the presence of an effort-reward-imbalance, increased technostress most (β = 6.11). A professional with no professional qualification (β = -7.94) showed the most reduction.

CONCLUSION

Health professionals experience moderate technostress. However, decision-makers should consider the cognitive and social aspects surrounding digitalization, to reach a beneficial and sustainable level of usage.

Analyzing the evolution of technostress: A science mapping approach

This paper analyzes the scientific map of technostress and the scientific production on this topic between 1982 and 2017, highlighting its structure, evolution, and trends in this field. A literature review based on bibliometric analysis of 246 records indexed in Scopus database was conducted. These publications were analyzed according to bibliometric indicators and through science maps with SciMAT. Co-occurrence of terms by grouping techniques was implemented. In addition, elaboration of maps of science and performance analysis for periods was executed. The main contribution of this work is to provide the first scientific map of technostress and a detailed understanding of the scientific production that predicts the directions of future research. The bibliometric analyses permit an overview of the growth, extent and distribution of the scientific literature related to the technostress and the study of the scientific production of an institution, country, author or research group.

Time to Disentangle the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Constructs: Developing a Taxonomy around ICT Use for Occupational Health Research

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the workplace has gained considerable research attention in the occupational health field due to its effects on employee stress and well-being. Consequently, new ICT-related constructs have proliferated in occupational health research, resulting in a need to take stock of both potential redundancies and deficiencies in the current measures. This paper disentangles ICT-related constructs, developing a taxonomy of ICT-related constructs in terms of ICT demands, resources, motivation, use, and strains. We then integrate this taxonomy with stress and motivation theories to identify three key implications for ICT and workplace health research and practices in terms of providing suggestions on understudied areas for building better theories, highlighting important psychometric issues for building better constructs and measures, and offering recommendations for building better interventions. This review aims to serve as a guide for researchers to move forward with the current state of research and provide recommendations for organizations in terms of both potential repercussions and best practices for ICT use in the workplace.

Risk Factors and Leadership in a Digitalized Working World and Their Effects on Employees' Stress and Resources: Web-Based Questionnaire Study

Background

In today’s world of work, the digitalization of work and communication processes is increasing, and will increase even further. This increase in digitalization at the workplace brings many new aspects of working life to light, such as working in virtual teams, mobile working, expectations of being constantly available, and the need for support in adapting and learning new digital tools. These changes to the workplace can contain risks that might harm the well-being of employees. Leaders can support the well-being of their employees in terms of protecting and replenishing their work-related resources to cope with critical work demands. This so-called health-promoting leadership could serve as a buffer between risk at the workplace and critical outcomes, such as stress, by amplifying work-related resources.

Objective

This study’s aims were twofold. First, we wanted to investigate if risk factors related to higher digitalization at the workplace can be identified and if these risk factors have an impairing effect on the well-being of employees (eg, higher stress and lower resources). Second, we wanted to investigate if the health-impairing effects of these risk factors can be reduced by health-promoting leadership.

Methods

A total of 1412 employees from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland took part in this online study and provided information on their perceived risks at the workplace, their leaders’ health-promoting behaviors, and their work-related stress and resources.

Results

The results of a hierarchical regression analysis showed that all four risk factors of digital work (distributed team work, mobile work, constant availability, and inefficient technical support) were related to higher stress at the workplace. In addition, distributed team work and inefficient technical support were associated with lower work-related resources. A possible buffer effect of health-promoting leadership between these risks and employee well-being was visible for inefficient technical support. In particular, in the case of having fewer support opportunities in learning and using digital tools, leaders could weaken the potential critical effects on stress. As for the other risk factors, leaders might engage in a different leadership behavior to improve their employees’ well-being, as the physical distance between leaders and employees in virtual team work or mobile work could make health-promoting leadership more difficult.

Conclusions

In a digitalized working world, solutions are needed to create working conditions that benefit employees. The results of this study strongly support the importance of investigating risk factors associated with an increase in digitalization at the workplace in addition to traditional risk factors. As for leadership, leaders need to show leadership behavior adapted to a digitalized workplace in order to reduce employee stress and increase work-related resources.

Is There a Sampling Bias in Research on Work-Related Technostress? A Systematic Review of Occupational Exposure to Technostress and the Role of Socioeconomic Position

Technostress is a widespread model used to study negative effects of using information communication technologies at work. The aim of this review is to assess the role of socioeconomic position (SEP) in research on work-related technostress. We conducted systematic searches in multidisciplinary databases (PubMed, PubMed Central, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycInfo, PsycArticles) in June 2020 and independently screened 321 articles against eligibility criteria (working population, technostress exposure, health or work outcome, quantitative design). Of the 21 studies included in the narrative synthesis, three studies did not collect data on SEP, while 18 studies operationalised SEP as education (eight), job position (five), SEP itself (two) or both education as well as job position (three). Findings regarding differences by SEP are inconclusive, with evidence of high SEP reporting more frequent exposure to overall technostress. In a subsample of 11 studies reporting data on educational attainment, we compared the percentage of university graduates to World Bank national statistics and found that workers with high SEP are overrepresented in nine of 11 studies. The resulting socioeconomic sampling bias limits the scope of the technostress model to high SEP occupations. The lack of findings regarding differences by SEP in technostress can partly be attributed to limitations in study designs. Studies should aim to reduce the heterogeneity of technostress and SEP measures to improve external validity and generalisability across socioeconomic groups. Future research on technostress would benefit from developing context-sensitive SEP measures and quality appraisal tools that identify socioeconomic sampling biases by comparing data to national statistics.

The social and health implications of digital work intensification. Associations between exposure to information and communication technologies, health and work ability in different socio-economic strata

Purpose

Older employees are often thought to be vulnerable to negative effects of information and communication technology (ICT). Our study aims to examine associations between work-related ICT exposure (i.e. ICT use or digital work intensification), physical health, mental health and work ability (WA). We examine whether these associations are modified by socio-economic position (SEP).

Methods

We analysed cross-sectional data from 3180 participants (born in 1959 and 1965) in wave 3 of the representative German lidA cohort study. We performed hierarchical multiple regression to assess the distinct associations of ICT use and digital work intensification with mental and physical health and WA. We stratified analyses by SEP and controlled for age, sex, and digital affinity.

Results

92% of participants reported ICT use at work. Almost 20% reported high levels of digital work intensification, while a similar proportion did not experience digital work intensification. In bivariate analyses, ICT use by itself was not significantly associated with mental health or WA in the total sample or when stratified. Digital work intensification displayed negative associations with mental health and WA. In hierarchical multiple regressions, digital work intensification showed consistently negative associations with mental health and work ability of similar strength across SEP.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that ICT use, per se, does not negatively impact older workers. Digital work intensification may be associated with worse mental health and work ability. Research on health and social implications of work-related ICT should differentiate patterns of ICT exposure and assess modifications by SEP to better gauge the ambiguous effects of ICT.

Healthcare managers' experiences of technostress and the actions they take to handle it - a critical incident analysis

Background

Healthcare managers, in comparison with other healthcare professionals, have an increased likelihood of experiencing technostress at work. Since knowledge about the causes and severity of technostress and about the strategies healthcare managers use to handle it is limited, the aim of this study was to describe their experience of technostress and the actions they employ to address it.

Methods

An explorative design based on the critical incident technique was used. In total, 20 healthcare managers (10 women, 10 men) from four hospitals in two county councils in Sweden were purposively selected according to professional background, hierarchical management position, control span, time in the management position, and sex. Semi-structured interviews with regard to critical incidents and actions taken to handle technostress were conducted.

Results

Healthcare managers’ experiences of technostress (n = 279) were categorised related to three main areas. These involved ‘negative aspects of digital communication’ (e.g. high workload, invasion of private life, and negative feelings related to digital communication), ‘poor user experience of ICT systems (such as illogicality of the ICT system, time-consuming ICT system, or malfunctioning ICT system) and ‘needs to improve organisational resources’ (e.g. needs associated with digital literacy, user influence and distribution of work and ICT systems). Actions taken to handle technostress (n=196) were described relating to three main areas involving ‘culture, norms and social support’ (such as good email culture, and co-worker support), ‘individual resources’ (e.g. individual strategies and competence) and ‘organisational resources’ (such as IT-related assistance and support).

Conclusions

Healthcare managers described negative aspects of digital communication, poor user experience of ICT systems, and lack of organisational resources as potential technostress creators. These problems were handled by taking action related to culture, norms and social support, and individual as well as organisational resources. All these features, along with consideration of healthcare managers’ job demands and resources in general, should be incorporated into actions monitored by healthcare organisations to improve or maintain a sustainable digitalised environment for healthcare managers.

Trial registration

Regional Ethics Board in Linköping #2017/597–31. Registered 20 March 2018. URL not available.

Technostress at work and mental health: concepts and research results

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The ongoing digitalization has profound consequences for work in modern economies. It is, therefore, important to investigate if digital technologies increase stress at work (i.e. 'technostress') and lead to impaired mental health. This article describes the concept of technostress and discusses possible risks and opportunities of digital technologies at work and their effect on mental health.

RECENT FINDINGS

Studies report that the use of digital technologies is associated with specific psychosocial demands (e.g. higher workload, complexity, conflicts between work and other life domains) and resulting psychobiological stress reactions. It is, however, still unclear if this kind of technostress causes mental disorders because epidemiological studies are missing. Yet, an increasing number of studies suggests that well designed digital work may promote good health if it optimizes work organization or enables greater flexibility, and increases control and autonomy at work.

SUMMARY

Digitalization of work seems to have both opportunities and risks for the mental health of employees. The number of studies is currently limited and further research is necessary to describe the advantages and disadvantages more precisely.

Analysis of Stress Factors for Female Professors at Online Universities

The aim of this paper is to analyze the primary stress factors female professors at online universities are exposed to. The technique used for the prospective and exploratory analysis was the Delphi method. Two rounds of consultations were done with fourteen judges with broad experience in health and safety at work and university teaching who reached a consensus of opinion regarding a list of nine psychosocial risk factors. Among the most important risk factors, mental overload, time pressure, the lack of a schedule, and emotional exhaustion were highlighted. These risk factors are related to the usage and expansion of information and communication technology (ICT) and to the university system itself, which requires initiating more research in the future in order to develop the intervention programs needed to fortify the health of the affected teachers and protect them from stress and other psychosocial risks.

Sleep disturbance and work-related mental strain: A national prospective cohort study of the prediction of subsequent long-term sickness absence, disability pension and mortality

Aims: Sleep disturbances and work-related mental strain are linked to increased sickness absence and disability pension (DP), but we have no information on synergy effects. The aim of this study was to examine the combined (and separate) association of the two predictors with subsequent long-term work disability and mortality. Methods: A total of 45,498 participants aged 16–64 years were interviewed in the Swedish Surveys of Living Conditions between 1997 and 2013, and were followed up on long-term sickness absence (LTSA; >90 days/year), DP and mortality via national registers until 2016. Crude and multivariable Cox analyses were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: For LTSA, the HRs for sleep disturbances and work-related mental strain were 1.6 (95% CI 1.5–1.7) and 1.3 (95% CI 1.2–1.4), respectively. For DP, the HRs were 2.0 (95% CI 1.8–2.2) and 1.4 (95% CI 1.2–1.5). Mortality was only predicted by sleep disturbances (HR=1.2, 95% CI 1.1–1.4). No synergy effect was seen. Conclusions: Work-related mental strain and, in particular, sleep disturbances were associated with a higher risk of subsequent LTSA and DP, but without synergy effects. Sleep disturbances were also associated with mortality. Exposure to interventions tackling sleep disturbance and prevention of workplace stress may reduce work disability.

Identifying Work-Related Internet's Uses-at Work and Outside Usual Workplaces and Hours-and Their Relationships With Work-Home Interface, Work Engagement, and Problematic Internet Behavior

Many studies have analyzed the uses of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for work, with some focusing on use at the office and others on use outside the traditional workplace and workday. However, there is little research encompassing all work uses of ICTs, both in and out of the office, and on the ways in which they affect employees' attitudes toward their work and quality of life. Thus, the present study aims to (a) explore the links between intensity, places, and time periods of using the Internet for work; (b) examine whether Internet uses for work are related to the perceived impact of work on personal life, work engagement, and Internet addiction. An empirical study was conducted based on a questionnaire survey of 502 executives. We measured their use of the Internet for business purposes both in and outside of the standard workday/workplace; the perceived impact of work on their personal life; their work engagement; and their relationship to the Internet. Four categories of Internet use for work were identified (Cluster analysis). They differed with respect to intensity, places, and time periods dedicated to Internet uses (at standard workplace, at home, while traveling; during a typical workday, a day off, or vacation). The results obtained from Multinomial Logistic Regression show that technological devices provided by the employer and personal uses of the Internet are related to the intensity, places, and time periods of executives' work-related Internet uses. Furthermore, ANCOVAs reveal that high-intensive, extensive, and porous Internet uses for work appear to foster the permeability between work and personal life, diminish managers' dedication and vigor at work, and favor Internet addiction. Based on these findings, we discuss the importance of the "right to disconnect" and prevention programs regarding Internet uses, two major issues that attract the attention of organizations as well as public health authorities.

Repeated exposure to high ICT demands at work, and development of suboptimal self-rated health: findings from a 4-year follow-up of the SLOSH study

PURPOSE

The knowledge about the association between Information and Communication Technology (ICT) demands at work and self-rated health (SRH) is insufficient. The aim of this study was to examine the association between repeated exposure to high ICT demands at work, and risk of suboptimal SRH, and to determine modifications by sex or socioeconomic position (SEP).

METHODS

A prospective design was used, including repeated measurement of ICT demands at work, measured 2 years apart. SRH was measured at baseline and at follow-up after 4 years. The data were derived from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH), including 4468 gainfully employees (1941 men, 2527 women) with good SRH at baseline.

RESULTS

In the total study sample, repeated exposure to high ICT demands at work was associated with suboptimal SRH at follow-up (OR 1.34 [CI 1.06-1.70]), adjusted for age, sex, SEP, health behaviours, BMI, job strain and social support. An interaction between ICT demands and sex was observed (p = 0.010). The risk was only present in men (OR 1.53 [CI 1.09-2.16]), and not in women (OR 1.17 [CI 0.85-1.62]). The risk of suboptimal SRH after consistently high ICT demands at work was most elevated in participants with high SEP (OR 1.68 [CI 1.02-2.79]), adjusted for age, sex, health behaviours, BMI and job strain. However, no significant interaction between ICT demands and SEP regarding SRH was observed.

CONCLUSION

Repeated exposure to high ICT demands at work was associated with suboptimal SRH at follow-up, and the association was modified by sex.

Can physical activity compensate for low socioeconomic status with regard to poor self-rated health and low quality-of-life?

Background

Both high socioeconomic status (SES) and high physical activity (PA) are associated with better self-rated health (SRH) and higher quality-of-life (QoL).

Aim

To investigate whether high levels of PA may compensate for the association between low SES and subjective health outcomes in terms of poorer SRH and lower QoL.

Method

Data from a cross-sectional, population-based study (n = 5326) was utilized. Multiple logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the associations between indicators of SES (economic situation and educational level), SRH and QoL, as well as between the combination of SES and PA in relation to SRH and QoL.

Result

Participants with high PA and economic problems had approximately the same OR for good SRH as those with low PA and without economic problems (OR 1.75 [95% CI 1.20–2.54] and 1.81 [1.25–2.63] respectively). Participants with high PA and low education had higher odds for good SRH (OR 3.34 [2.96–5.34] compared to those with low PA and high education (OR 1.46 [0.89–2.39]).Those with high PA and economic problems had an OR of 2.09 [1.42–3.08], for high QoL, while the corresponding OR for those with low PA and without economic problems was 4.38 [2.89–6.63].

Conclusion

Physically active people with low SES, had the same or even better odds to report good SRH compared to those with low PA and high SES. For QoL the result was not as consistent. The findings highlight the potential for promotion of PA to reduce SES-based inequalities in SRH.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12955-019-1102-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The negative effects on mental health of being in a non-desired occupation in an increasingly precarious labour market

Precarious employment has been associated with poor mental health. Moreover, increasing labour market precariousness may cause individuals to feel ‘locked-in’, in non-desired workplaces or occupations, out of fear of not finding a new employment. This could be experienced as a ‘loss of control’, with similar negative health consequences. It is plausible that the extent to which being in a non-desired occupation (NDO) or being in precarious employment (PE) has a negative impact on mental health differs according to age group. We tested this hypothesis using data from 2331 persons, 18–34, 35–44, and 45–54 years old, who answered questionnaires in 1999/2000, 2005, and 2010. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were calculated for poor mental health (GHQ-12) in 2010, after exposure to NDO and PE in 1999/2000 or 2005. NDO and PE were more common in the youngest age group, and they were both associated with poor mental health. In the middle age group the impact of NDO was null, while in contrast the IRR for PE was 1.7 (95% CI: 1.3–2.3) after full adjustment. The pattern was completely the opposite in the oldest age group (adjusted IRR for NDO 1.6 (1.1–2.4) and for PE 0.9 (0.6–1.4)). The population attributable fraction of poor mental health was 14.2% and 11.6%, respectively, for NDO in the youngest and oldest age group, and 17.2% for PE in the middle age group. While the consequences of PE have been widely discussed, those of NDO have not received attention. Interventions aimed at adapting work situations for older individuals and facilitating conditions of job change in such a way as to avoid risking unemployment or precarious employment situations may lead to improved mental health in this age group.

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Labour market factors influenced mental health after 5–10 years.

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The impact varied by age group.

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Young persons were more often in precarious employment & in non-desired occupations.

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Precarious employment had the strongest negative impact on mental health in middle age.

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In late working life, non-desired occupation was associated with poor mental health.