Distribution of effort-reward imbalance in Denmark and its prospective association with a decline in self-rated health.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the distribution of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and to investigate its impact on self-rated health in a representative sample of the Danish workforce.


METHODS
We studied 4977 employees who responded to a questionnaire in 2000, of which 3470 responded to a follow-up survey in 2005.


RESULTS
The highest (ie, most unfavorable) ERI ratio was found in executives in the public sector, social workers, managing clerks in the public sector, and medical secretaries. A one standard deviation increase of the ERI ratio predicted a 12% (95% confidence intervals = 1.01 to 1.24) decline in self-rated health after adjustment for all covariates.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study that identified job groups with a high exposure to ERI in a representative sample of a national workforce. ERI was a risk factor for a decline in self-rated health.
Rugulies
Reiner
R
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Department of Social Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. rer@nrcwe.dk
Aust
Birgit
B
Siegrist
Johannes
J
von dem Knesebeck
Olaf
O
Bültmann
Ute
U
Bjorner
Jakob B
JB
Burr
Hermann
H
D003718:Denmark; D004651:Employment; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012201:Reward; D012650:Self Disclosure; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires