Reports Outline Health and Medicine Study Findings from Institute of Environmental Medicine (To work despite chronic health conditions: a qualitative…

Health & Medicine Week

Reports Outline Health and Medicine Study Findings from Institute of Environmental Medicine (To work despite chronic health conditions: a qualitative study of workers at the Swedish Public Employment Service)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health & Medicine Week -- Investigators discuss new findings in Health and Medicine. According to news reporting from Stockholm, Sweden, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, "Achieving a sustainable, healthy and long working life is key prerequisite for meeting the demographic challenge posed by an ageing population so that more people can work on into their later years. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between work and chronic health conditions in a group of employees aged 50-64 years with a focus on factors that enable them to continue to work."

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the Institute of Environmental Medicine, "Ten white-collar workers with one or more chronic health conditions at the Swedish Public Employment Service participated in the study. A qualitative method with semistructured in-depth interviews was used to collect data. This study shows that factors enabling people with chronic health conditions to work include adaptation of the work situation by task-shifting as well as provision of physical aids. Our study suggest that the changes often come at the employee's initiative; hence, there is potential for greater involvement from the employer, healthcare agencies and the social insurance fund in making it easier for employees to adapt their work situation and in providing information regarding available support."

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: "It confirms findings in earlier studies that health plays an important part and also that self-confidence and motivation are significant factors contributing to workers being able and wanting to continue working."

For more information on this research see: To work despite chronic health conditions: a qualitative study of workers at the Swedish Public Employment Service. Bmj Open, 2018;8(4):e019747. (BMJ Publishing Group - group.bmj.com/; Bmj Open - bmjopen.bmj.com/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting C. Hjartstrom, Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Additional authors for this research include A. Lindahl Norberg, G. Johansson and T. Bodin (see also Health and Medicine).

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019747. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Keywords for this news article include: Sweden, Europe, Stockholm, Health and Medicine.