title: Cross-cultural validity of the demand-control questionnaire: Swedish and Brazilian workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cross-cultural validity of the Demand-Control Questionnaire, comparing the original Swedish questionnaire with the Brazilian version. METHODS We compared data from 362 Swedish and 399 Brazilian health workers. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were performed to test structural validity, using the robust weighted least squares mean and variance-adjusted (WLSMV) estimator. Construct validity, using hypotheses testing, was evaluated through the inspection of the mean score distribution of the scale dimensions according to sociodemographic and social support at work variables. RESULTS The confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses supported the instrument in three dimensions (for Swedish and Brazilians): psychological demands, skill discretion and decision authority. The best-fit model was achieved by including an error correlation between work fast and work intensely (psychological demands) and removing the item repetitive work (skill discretion). Hypotheses testing showed that workers with university degree had higher scores on skill discretion and decision authority and those with high levels of Social Support at Work had lower scores on psychological demands and higher scores on decision authority. CONCLUSIONS The results supported the equivalent dimensional structures across the two culturally different work contexts. Skill discretion and decision authority formed two distinct dimensions and the item repetitive work should be removed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Epidemiologia Clínica, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Yara Hahr Marques
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Hökerberg
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Epidemiologia, Instituto de Medicina Social, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Michael Eduardo
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Reichenheim
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Epidemiologia, Instituto de Medicina Social, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Faerstein
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Epidemiologia Clínica, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Sonia Regina Lambert
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Passos
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Equity Studies, Stockholm University, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fritzell
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Equity Studies, Stockholm University, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toivanen
authors.affiliation: Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Westerlund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D014177:Translations; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data