Dual source support and control at work in relation to poor health

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Sociology of Work
• Public Health

Background:

• Extensive research exists on social support and decision authority's impact on health.
• However, the specific roles of different combinations of support sources remain under-researched.
• This study investigates employee health across varied support and decision-making contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe employee health in eight distinct situations.
• To analyze health outcomes based on varying levels of support from superiors and workmates.
• To examine the influence of decision authority on employee health.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a large sample of Swedish employees (n=53,371) from a national work environment survey.
• Collected prospective data on long-term sick leave (≥60 days) over 12 months.
• Analyzed data separately for men and women across different support constellations and decision authority levels.

Main Results:

• Lower decision authority correlated with higher symptom prevalence and long-term sick leave.
• Good support from both superiors and workmates was linked to lower symptom prevalence and sick leave.
• Poor support from workmates, or from both sources, showed the highest sick leave incidence; poor support from superiors alone showed intermediate results.

Conclusions:

• Long-term sick leave is primarily associated with inadequate support from workmates.
• Physical symptom prevalence is linked to both support sources, with absence of both leading to particularly high prevalence.
• Differentiating between sources of social support is crucial for understanding employee health outcomes.