title: The capability set for work: development and validation of a new questionnaire.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to develop a questionnaire to measure work capabilities based on Amartya Sen's capability approach and evaluate its validity.
  
  
  METHODS
  The development of the questionnaire was based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods: interviews, literature study, and an expert meeting. Additionally, in a survey, the validity was evaluated by means of hypotheses testing (using correlations and regression analyses).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The questionnaire consists of a set of seven capability aspects for work. For each aspect, it is determined whether it is part of a worker's capability set, ie, when the aspect is considered valuable, is enabled in work, and is realized. The capability set was significantly correlated with work role functioning-flexibility demands (-0,187), work ability (-0.304), work performance (-0.282), worked hours (-0.073), sickness absence (yes/no) (0.098), and sickness absence days (0.105). The capability set and the overall capability item are significantly associated with all work outcomes (P<0.010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The new capability set for work questionnaire appears to be a valid instrument to measure work capabilities. The questionnaire is unique because the items include the valued aspects of work and incorporate whether a worker is able to achieve what (s)he values in his/her work. The questionnaire can be used to evaluate the capability set of workers in organizations to identify aspects that need to be addressed in interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Community and Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, FA10, Room 610, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands. f.i.abma@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Femke I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Abma
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brouwer
authors.forename: Haitze J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arends
authors.forename: Suzan J W
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Robroek
authors.forename: Maarten P J
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Cuijpers
authors.forename: Gert Jan
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: van der Wilt
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bültmann
authors.forename: Jac J L
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: van der Klink
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation; D017132:Workplace