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Study of the validity of a job–exposure matrix for the job strain model factors: an update and a study of changes over time

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Abstract

Objectives

The objectives of the study were to construct a job–exposure matrix (JEM) for psychosocial work factors of the job strain model, to evaluate its validity, and to compare the results over time.

Methods

The study was based on national representative data of the French working population with samples of 46,962 employees (2010 SUMER survey) and 24,486 employees (2003 SUMER survey). Psychosocial work factors included the job strain model factors (Job Content Questionnaire): psychological demands, decision latitude, social support, job strain and iso-strain. Job title was defined by three variables: occupation and economic activity coded using standard classifications, and company size. A JEM was constructed using a segmentation method (Classification and Regression Tree—CART) and cross-validation.

Results

The best quality JEM was found using occupation and company size for social support. For decision latitude and psychological demands, there was not much difference using occupation and company size with or without economic activity. The validity of the JEM estimates was higher for decision latitude, job strain and iso-strain, and lower for social support and psychological demands. Differential changes over time were observed for psychosocial work factors according to occupation, economic activity and company size.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that company size in addition to occupation may improve the validity of JEMs for psychosocial work factors. These matrices may be time-dependent and may need to be updated over time. More research is needed to assess the validity of JEMs given that these matrices may be able to provide exposure assessments to study a range of health outcomes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the members of the DARES (French ministry of labour), all the occupational physicians and ‘médecins inspecteurs régionaux du travail’, and all the employees who participated to the SUMER survey and made this study possible. The authors also thank Laure Ngabirano for her help in the check of the data related to occupation and economic activity.

Funding

This study was funded by the French National Research Program for Environmental and Occupational Health of ANSES, France (Grant no. EST-2016/1/49).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSERM, U1085, Research Institute for Environmental and Occupational Health (IRSET), Epidemiology in Occupational Health and Ergonomics (ESTER) Team, 28 rue Roger Amsler, Cedex 74521, 49045, Angers Cedex 1, France

    Isabelle Niedhammer & Jean-François Chastang

  2. University of Angers, Epidemiology in Occupational Health and Ergonomics (ESTER) Team, Angers, France

    Isabelle Niedhammer & Jean-François Chastang

  3. Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia

    Allison Milner & Anthony D. LaMontagne

  4. Work, Health and Wellbeing Unit, Centre for Population Health Research, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3125, Australia

    Anthony D. LaMontagne

Authors
  1. Isabelle Niedhammer
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  2. Allison Milner
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  3. Anthony D. LaMontagne
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  4. Jean-François Chastang
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Correspondence to Isabelle Niedhammer.

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Niedhammer, I., Milner, A., LaMontagne, A.D. et al. Study of the validity of a job–exposure matrix for the job strain model factors: an update and a study of changes over time. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 91, 523–536 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-018-1299-2

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