Affiliations: The National Institute for Working Life, Stockholm,
Sweden | The Public Health Department at The County Council of
Jönköping, Sweden
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Carina Bildt, National Institute for
Working Life, SE-113 91 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel.: +46 619 68 11; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: This study includes women and men born between 1934 and 1953 in the
municipality of Gnosjö in the south of Sweden and covers the period 1998
to 2001. Compared with the country, a large proportion of the population of the
municipality of Gnosjö works in the manufacturing industry. The aim was to
examine associations between physical and psychological stress factors in and
outside work, sickness absence and cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases,
from a gender perspective. Information about working conditions and other
aspect of life was collected by a questionnaire in 1998, and register data
about sickness absence, cardiovascular diseases and musculoskeletal diseases
1999–2001. The impact on sickness absence consisted mainly of demand and
control aspects of the psychosocial working conditions, but also temporary
employment and of low sense of coherence. In relation to musculoskeletal
health, demand and control was important among women, but not among men. Very
few physical factors in the work environment were related to musculoskeletal
diseases. Low sense of coherence had an impact also on musculoskeletal
diseases. Cardiovascular diseases among women were influenced by demand and
control and by life style related factors. We hope that the knowledge gained from our study makes it possible
to develop better tools for both the preventive work in Gnosjö and for the
rehabilitation of the people already ill. Because of our holistic approach,
both public health aspects and working life aspects are covered. The
municipality of Gnosjö is small, and therefore foreseeable in a way that
many municipalities are not. Still, we do believe that our finding, in this
longitudinal study, can be of value also in the public efforts and the efforts
to develop adequate and successful rehabilitation approaches.
Keywords: Work and leisure time, psychosocial, physical, sense of coherence
