Potential explanatory variables and their response alternatives categorised into a reference category and categories of exposure levels assumed to support good health
| Determinants | Exposure | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| The three control variables of sex, age, and earlier sick leave are described in table 2. | ||
| Sociodemographic domain | ||
| Level of education | More than 11 years of schooling | At most 11 years of schooling |
| Good personal finances | Neither good nor bad | Strained/very strained |
| Very good/good | ||
| Household with another adult and children | Living with another adult and child/children | Living alone with/without child/children or living with another adult without child/children |
| In charge of domestic responsibilities | Sharing equal | Myself |
| Somebody else | ||
| Lifestyle domain | ||
| Smoking | Non-smoker | Smoker |
| Obesity | BMI 25–29.9 | BMI ⩾30 |
| BMI <25 | ||
| Leisure exercise | Once a week | Occasionally |
| Twice or more per week | ||
| Recuperated and full of energy (index of 4 items, score 4–20) | Sometimes recuperated, 12–15 | Seldom recuperated, <12 |
| Mostly recuperated, >15 | ||
| Working life domain | ||
| Physically non-strenuous work (Borg’s RPE scale 6–20) | Somewhat strenuous, 13–15 | Strenuous, >15 |
| Non-strenuous, <13 | ||
| Heavy (>10 kg) lifting | 1–5 times per day | >5 times per day |
| Almost never | ||
| Forward bent work posture | Total of 1–60 min daily | Total of >60 min daily |
| Almost never | ||
| Job security | Unchanged | Decreased |
| Increased | ||
| Content with number of working hours | Content | Would like to work less |
| Would like to work more | ||
| Mixed sexes at the workplace | A mix of women and men | Almost only women or men |
| In the mood for work | A couple of days per month of feeling uneasy on the way to work | Once a week/a couple of days of per week/daily feeling uneasy on the way to work |
| Never/seldom feeling uneasy on the way to work | ||
| Mastery (index of six questions, score 6–30) | Moderate perception of mastery, 21–25 | Low perception of mastery, <21 |
| High perception of mastery, >25 | ||
| Role clarity (index of 3 questions, score 3–15) | Moderate clarity, 12–14 | Low clarity, <12 |
| High clarity, 15 | ||
| Psychological demands at work (index of 5 questions, score 5–20) | Moderate demands, 12–14 Low demands, <12 | High demands, >14 |
| Decision latitude (index of 6 questions, score 6–24) | Moderate decision latitude, 17–19 | Low decision latitude, <17 |
| High decision latitude, >19 | ||
| Performance at work appreciated by superior | To some extent | To a rather small extent/not at all |
| To a great extent | ||