title: Associations between self-rated health and psychosocial conditions, lifestyle factors and health resources among hospital nurses in Lithuania.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to investigate the association between self-rated health and psychosocial factors at work and everyday life (job demands, job control, social support, workplace bullying, life-threatening events); health behaviours (smoking, alcohol, being overweight, obesity, low physical activity); mental distress; job satisfaction; and sense of coherence in a representative sample of Lithuanian hospitals' internal medicine department nurses.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Recent trends to extend the retirement age in many countries of the European Union challenge future public health. Nurses are exposed to a broad variety of adverse psychosocial factors at work and in every day life that affect their health perception. As the retirement age in Lithuania is to be extended to 65 years for women, research on the associations of poor self-rated health with related factors is important.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out in the period 2005-2006 using the representative sample of Lithuanian hospitals' internal medicine department nurses. Data were collected from 748 nurses using questionnaire (response rate 53·9%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 60·4% of nurses rated their health negatively. In the fully adjusted model age, high job demands, low job control, low social support at work, life-threatening events, low physical activity, being overweight, obesity, mental distress, job dissatisfaction and weak sense of coherence were associated with negative self-rated health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preventive strategies against adverse psychosocial working conditions of nurses should be implemented in the Lithuanian hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania. vilimali@itc.kmu.lt
authors.forename: Vilija
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Malinauskiene
authors.forename: Palmira
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leisyte
authors.forename: Malinauskas
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romualdas
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kirtiklyte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005062:European Union; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008019:Life Style; D008097:Lithuania; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009729:Nursing; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012179:Retirement / Q000639:trends; D012647:Self-Assessment; D060685:Sense of Coherence; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult