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The Impact of Quality of Work Organization on Distress and Absenteeism among Healthcare Workers

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  • Nicola Magnavita

    (Postgraduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Department of Woman, Child & Public Health Sciences, Fondazione A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy)

  • Carlo Chiorri

    (Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genova, 16126 Genova, Italy)

  • Leila Karimi

    (School of Applied Health, Psychology Department, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
    School of Medicine and Healthcare Management, Caucasus University, Tbilisi 0141, Georgia)

  • Maria Karanika-Murray

    (Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, 50 Shakespeare Street, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK)

Abstract

The quality of work organization may be responsible not only for reduced productivity but also for an increased risk of mental and physical disorders. This study was aimed at testing this hypothesis. Workers of a local health unit in Italy were asked to fill out the Work Organization Assessment Questionnaire (WOAQ) during their periodic medical examinations in the second half of 2018. On the same occasion, they also completed the Demand/Control/Support (DCS) measure of job strain, the Effort/Reward Imbalance (ERI) questionnaire, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12) to assess psychological health. A total of 345 workers (85.8%) completed the survey. Linear regression analysis showed that the quality of work organization was inversely proportional to psychological health problems ( p < 0.001). Occupational stress, measured both by job strain and ERI, was a moderating factor in this relationship. The relationship between the WOAQ and psychological health, moderated by job strain or ERI, remained highly significant even after adjustment for sex, age, social support, and overcommitment. Regression models explained over 40% of the shared variance of the association between quality of work organization and psychological health. The quality of work organization significantly predicted the risk of sickness absence for musculoskeletal disorders (OR = 0.984, CI95% 0.972–0.996) and for other health problems (OR = 0.977, CI95% 0.967–0.988). A continuous improvement of work organization must consider not only the clients’ or production needs but also the well-being of workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicola Magnavita & Carlo Chiorri & Leila Karimi & Maria Karanika-Murray, 2022. "The Impact of Quality of Work Organization on Distress and Absenteeism among Healthcare Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:20:p:13458-:d:945642
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Claudia Pieper & Sarah Schröer & Anna-Lisa Eilerts, 2019. "Evidence of Workplace Interventions—A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-13, September.
    2. Erebouni Arakelian & Sofia Paulsson & Fredrik Molin & Magnus Svartengren, 2021. "How Human Resources Index, Relational Justice, and Perceived Productivity Change after Reorganization at a Hospital in Sweden That Uses a Structured Support Model for Systematic Work Environment Manag," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-15, November.
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    4. Johannes Siegrist & Jian Li, 2016. "Associations of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Components of Work Stress with Health: A Systematic Review of Evidence on the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-14, April.
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    6. Nicola Magnavita, 2018. "Medical Surveillance, Continuous Health Promotion and a Participatory Intervention in a Small Company," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-13, April.
    7. Nicola Magnavita & Carlo Chiorri & Daniela Acquadro Maran & Sergio Garbarino & Reparata Rosa Di Prinzio & Martina Gasbarri & Carmela Matera & Anna Cerrina & Maddalena Gabriele & Marcella Labella, 2022. "Organizational Justice and Health: A Survey in Hospital Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-10, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Daniele La Forgia & Gaetano Paparella & Rahel Signorile & Francesca Arezzo & Maria Colomba Comes & Gennaro Cormio & Antonella Daniele & Annarita Fanizzi & Agnese Maria Fioretti & Gianluca Gatta & Miri, 2022. "Lean Perspectives in an Organizational Change in a Scientific Direction of an Italian Research Institute: Experience of the Cancer Institute of Bari," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Nicola Magnavita, 2023. "Workplace Health Promotion Embedded in Medical Surveillance: The Italian Way to Total Worker Health Program," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-11, February.

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