Mechanical and psychosocial work exposures: the construction and evaluation of a gender-specific job exposure matrix (JEM)

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to (i) construct and evaluate a gender-specific job exposure matrix (JEM) for mechanical and psychosocial work exposures and (ii) test its predictive validity for low-back pain. METHODS: We utilized data from the Norwegian nationwide Survey of Living Conditions...

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Main Authors: Therese Nordberg Hanvold, Tom Sterud, Petter Kristensen, Ingrid Sivesind Mehlum
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH) 2019-05-01
Series:Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
Subjects:
Online Access: https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3774
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author Therese Nordberg Hanvold
Tom Sterud
Petter Kristensen
Ingrid Sivesind Mehlum
author_facet Therese Nordberg Hanvold
Tom Sterud
Petter Kristensen
Ingrid Sivesind Mehlum
author_sort Therese Nordberg Hanvold
collection DOAJ
description OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to (i) construct and evaluate a gender-specific job exposure matrix (JEM) for mechanical and psychosocial work exposures and (ii) test its predictive validity for low-back pain. METHODS: We utilized data from the Norwegian nationwide Survey of Living Conditions on work environment in 2006 and 2009. We classified occupations on a 4-digit level based on the Norwegian version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88). The mechanical and psychosocial exposure information was collected by personal telephone interviews and included exposures that were known risk factors for low-back pain. We evaluated the agreement between the individual- and JEM-based exposure estimates, with kappa, sensitivity and specificity measures. We assessed the JEM`s predictive validity by testing the associations between low-back pain and the individual- and JEM-based exposure. RESULTS: The results showed an overall fair-to-moderate agreement between the constructed JEM and individual work exposures. The JEM performed considerably better for mechanical work exposures compared with psychosocial work exposures. The predictive validity of the mechanical and psychosocial JEM showed a consistently lower but predominantly reproducible association with low-back pain for both genders. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanical estimates and psychosocial stressors, such as psychological demands, monotonous work and decision latitude in the constructed JEM, may be useful in large epidemiological register studies. The predictive validity of the matrix was evaluated as being overall acceptable, it can thus be an effective and versatile approach to estimate the relationship between work exposures and low-back pain.
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spelling doaj.art-273b558ddb5c43419a54e7e6a042bab92022-12-21T22:12:13ZengNordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH)Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health0355-31401795-990X2019-05-0145323924710.5271/sjweh.37743774Mechanical and psychosocial work exposures: the construction and evaluation of a gender-specific job exposure matrix (JEM)Therese Nordberg Hanvold0Tom SterudPetter KristensenIngrid Sivesind MehlumNational Institute of Occupational Health, PO Box 8149 Dep., 0033 Oslo, Norway.OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to (i) construct and evaluate a gender-specific job exposure matrix (JEM) for mechanical and psychosocial work exposures and (ii) test its predictive validity for low-back pain. METHODS: We utilized data from the Norwegian nationwide Survey of Living Conditions on work environment in 2006 and 2009. We classified occupations on a 4-digit level based on the Norwegian version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88). The mechanical and psychosocial exposure information was collected by personal telephone interviews and included exposures that were known risk factors for low-back pain. We evaluated the agreement between the individual- and JEM-based exposure estimates, with kappa, sensitivity and specificity measures. We assessed the JEM`s predictive validity by testing the associations between low-back pain and the individual- and JEM-based exposure. RESULTS: The results showed an overall fair-to-moderate agreement between the constructed JEM and individual work exposures. The JEM performed considerably better for mechanical work exposures compared with psychosocial work exposures. The predictive validity of the mechanical and psychosocial JEM showed a consistently lower but predominantly reproducible association with low-back pain for both genders. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanical estimates and psychosocial stressors, such as psychological demands, monotonous work and decision latitude in the constructed JEM, may be useful in large epidemiological register studies. The predictive validity of the matrix was evaluated as being overall acceptable, it can thus be an effective and versatile approach to estimate the relationship between work exposures and low-back pain. https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3774 exposureaggregated exposure estimatelow-back painback painconstructionphysical exposuregenderpainworkloadwork exposureoccupational groupjob exposure matrixvalidationjempsychosocial work exposuremechanical work exposuregender-specific job exposure matrix
spellingShingle Therese Nordberg Hanvold
Tom Sterud
Petter Kristensen
Ingrid Sivesind Mehlum
Mechanical and psychosocial work exposures: the construction and evaluation of a gender-specific job exposure matrix (JEM)
Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
exposure
aggregated exposure estimate
low-back pain
back pain
construction
physical exposure
gender
pain
workload
work exposure
occupational group
job exposure matrix
validation
jem
psychosocial work exposure
mechanical work exposure
gender-specific job exposure matrix
title Mechanical and psychosocial work exposures: the construction and evaluation of a gender-specific job exposure matrix (JEM)
title_full Mechanical and psychosocial work exposures: the construction and evaluation of a gender-specific job exposure matrix (JEM)
title_fullStr Mechanical and psychosocial work exposures: the construction and evaluation of a gender-specific job exposure matrix (JEM)
title_full_unstemmed Mechanical and psychosocial work exposures: the construction and evaluation of a gender-specific job exposure matrix (JEM)
title_short Mechanical and psychosocial work exposures: the construction and evaluation of a gender-specific job exposure matrix (JEM)
title_sort mechanical and psychosocial work exposures the construction and evaluation of a gender specific job exposure matrix jem
topic exposure
aggregated exposure estimate
low-back pain
back pain
construction
physical exposure
gender
pain
workload
work exposure
occupational group
job exposure matrix
validation
jem
psychosocial work exposure
mechanical work exposure
gender-specific job exposure matrix
url https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3774
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