Is work affecting my health? Appraisals of how work affects health as a mediator in the relationship between working conditions and work-related attitudes

Abstract

This study investigates the role of appraisals by employees of how work is affecting their health, or could end up affecting it in the future. The study tests a model of health appraisals as a mediator of the effect of demands and control on employee attitudes (job satisfaction, organizational commitment and turnover intentions). This was investigated in a sample of employees in a Swedish white-collar organization, who participated in three waves of a longitudinal study conducted in 2007, 2008 and 2009; a final sample of 292 employees participated at all three waves. The results indicate that employee appraisals of how work affects their health have an important role in how working conditions relate to subsequent work-related attitudes. The study supports the importance of including employee appraisals when studying the effects of working conditions.

Keywords:

• health appraisals
• indirect effect
• demands
• control
• transactional stress model
• work-related health

Funding

The work on this manuscript was facilitated by Stockholm Stress Center, a centre of excellence financed by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare [grant number 2009-1758]. The data collection was financed by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research [grant number 2006-1139].

Additional information

Funding

Funding: The work on this manuscript was facilitated by Stockholm Stress Center, a centre of excellence financed by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare [grant number 2009-1758]. The data collection was financed by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research [grant number 2006-1139].