Table 4

Associations of work characteristics with health

Model 1: work characteristics analysed separately†Model 2: work characteristics analysed together‡
Work characteristicsMenWomenMenWomen
*Quartiles; †adjusted for demographics and measures of health behaviour (educational level, marital status, existence of dependent children, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, sedentariness); ‡adjusted for demographics, measures of health behaviour (see above) and other work characteristics; §odds ratio (95% CI); ¶rate ratio (95% CI).
Self rated poor health§
Worktime control
    4 (high)*1.001.001.001.00
    31.23 (0.85 to 1.76)1.28 (1.04 to 1.56)1.09 (0.76 to 1.58)1.18 (0.96 to 1.44)
    21.41 (0.99 to 2.01)1.59 (1.31 to 1.94)1.39 (0.97 to 1.99)1.42 (1.16 to 1.73)
    1 (low)1.36 (0.95 to 1.97)2.21 (1.80 to 2.72)1.22 (0.84 to 1.78)1.84 (1.49 to 2.28)
Job control
    4 (high)1.001.001.001.00
    31.55 (1.07 to 2.26)1.27 (1.03 to 1.57)1.63 (1.11 to 2.38)1.28 (1.03 to 1.59)
    21.60 (1.11 to 2.32)1.55 (1.26 to 1.90)1.74 (1.19 to 2.54)1.55 (1.26 to 1.92)
    1 (low)2.00 (1.34 to 2.97)1.96 (1.58 to 2.44)2.11 (1.40 to 3.20)1.86 (1.49 to 2.33)
Job demands
    1 (low)1.001.001.001.00
    21.14 (0.79 to 1.65)1.64 (1.34 to 2.01)1.14 (0.78 to 1.65)1.57 (1.28 to 1.93)
    31.49 (1.05 to 2.09)2.00 (1.65 to 2.42)1.56 (1.10 to 2.20)1.93 (1.59 to 2.34)
    4 (high)1.77 (1.24 to 2.53)2.15 (1.76 to 2.62)1.95 (1.36 to 2.81)2.07 (1.69 to 2.54)
Psychological distress§
Worktime control
    4 (high)1.001.001.001.00
    30.94 (0.65 to 1.38)1.49 (1.22 to 1.83)1.83 (0.56 to 1.23)1.40 (1.13 to 1.72)
    21.22 (0.85 to 1.75)1.57 (1.28 to 1.92)1.18 (0.81 to 1.71)1.38 (1.12 to 1.70)
    1 (low)1.15 (0.79 to 1.67)1.99 (1.61 to 2.45)1.00 (0.67 to 1.48)1.61 (1.29 to 2.00)
Job control
    4 (high)1.001.001.001.00
    31.24 (0.84 to 1.83)1.30 (1.05 to 1.60)1.48 (0.99 to 2.22)1.31 (1.05 to 1.63)
    21.53 (1.04 to 2.24)1.63 (1.33 to 2.01)1.99 (1.33 to 2.99)1.69 (1.37 to 2.09)
    1 (low)2.12 (1.41 to 3.21)2.01 (1.61 to 2.50)2.79 (1.79 to 4.34)2.05 (1.63 to 2.58)
Job demands
    1 (low)1.001.001.001.00
    21.23 (0.80 to 1.89)1.63 (1.30 to 2.05)1.23 (0.79 to 1.91)1.58 (1.25 to 1.98)
    31.84 (1.24 to 2.71)2.70 (2.19 to 3.33)1.95 (1.31 to 2.90)2.69 (2.18 to 3.31)
    4 (high)3.62 (2.47 to 5.31)4.20 (3.40 to 5.19)4.27 (2.88 to 6.33)4.20 (3.39 to 5.21)
Sickness absence
Worktime control
    4 (high)1.001.001.001.00
    31.02 (0.87 to 1.19)1.08 (1.01 to 1.16)0.98 (0.84 to 1.15)1.06 (0.99 to 1.14)
    21.23 (1.06 to 1.43)1.23 (1.14 to 1.31)1.19 (1.02 to 1.38)1.18 (1.10 to 1.26)
    1 (low)1.20 (1.03 to 1.41)1.22 (1.13 to 1.32)1.13 (0.96 to 1.33)1.15 (1.06 to 1.24)
Job control
    4 (high)1.001.001.001.00
    30.96 (0.82 to 1.14)1.11 (1.02 to 1.20)0.98 (0.83 to 1.16)1.16 (1.02 to 1.20)
    21.07 (0.92 to 1.25)1.23 (1.14 to 1.33)1.10 (0.93 to 1.29)1.23 (1.14 to 1.33)
    1 (low)1.28 (1.10 to 1.50)1.32 (1.22 to 1.43)1.29 (1.09 to 1.52)1.28 (1.18 to 1.39)
Job demands
    1 (low)1.001.001.001.00
    20.86 (0.75 to 1.00)1.16 (1.08 to 1.24)0.85 (0.73 to 0.98)1.14 (1.06 to 1.22)
    31.03 (0.90 to 1.18)1.12 (1.05 to 1.20)1.06 (0.92 to 1.21)1.11 (1.04 to 1.19)
    4 (high)1.10 (0.96 to 1.27)1.26 (1.17 to 1.35)1.14 (0.99 to 1.32)1.24 (1.15 to 1.33)