Affiliations: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of
Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden Occupational
and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska
Institute, Stockholm, Sweden | School of Sustainable Development of Society and
Technology, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden | Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society,
Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden | The National Centre for Work and Rehabilitation,
Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden | Department of Medical Sciences, Section of
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Peter N. Bergman, Occupational and
Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska
Institute, Norrbacka, SE-17176 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel.: +46 8 7373691; Fax: +46
8 33 43 33; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Objective: The Job Demand Control model presents combinations of
working conditions that may facilitate learning, the active learning
hypothesis, or have detrimental effects on health, the strain hypothesis. To
test the active learning hypothesis, this study analysed the effects of job
demands and job control on general problem-solving strategies. Participants: A population-based sample of 4,636 individuals (55% women,
45% men) with the same job characteristics measured at two times with a
three year time lag was used. Methods: Main effects of demands, skill
discretion, task authority and control, and the combined effects of demands and
control were analysed in logistic regressions, on four outcomes representing
general problem-solving strategies. Results: Those reporting high on skill discretion, task authority and control, as well as those reporting high
demand/high control and low demand/high control job characteristics were more
likely to state using problem solving strategies. Conclusions: Results suggest that working conditions including high levels of control may affect how
individuals cope with problems and that workplace characteristics may affect
behaviour in the non-work domain.
Keywords: Work characteristics, longitudinal, spill-over, learning
