@article{ref1,
title="Can work-unit social capital buffer the association between workplace violence and long-term sickness absence? A prospective cohort study of healthcare employees",
journal="International archives of occupational and environmental health",
year="2019",
author="Török, Eszter and Rod, Naja Hulvej and Ersbøll, Annette Kjær and Jensen, Johan Høj and Rugulies, Reiner and Clark, Alice Jessie",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="PURPOSE: To determine the prospective relation between workplace violence and the risk of long-term sickness absence (LTSA), and study if work-unit social capital could buffer this effect. As an explorative analysis, the association between work-unit social capital and workplace violence is also tested. <br><br>METHODS: The study is based on the Well-being in HospitAL Employees (WHALE) cohort, including healthcare employees in Denmark. The study sample consisted of 30,044 employees nested within 2304 work-units. Exposure to workplace violence and threats of violence during the past 12 months was measured by self-report. Work-unit social capital was computed by aggregating the mean individual responses within work-units. LTSA was defined as one or more episodes of ≥ 29 consecutive sickness absence days initiated within 2 years following baseline. <br><br>RESULTS: Employees experiencing workplace violence had a higher risk of LTSA (OR = 1.55; 95% CI 1.39-1.72), but there was no evidence in support of work-unit social capital buffering the effect of workplace violence on LTSA (RERI = 0.24; 95%CI: - 0.36 to 0.84; p = 0.12 for multiplicative interaction). High compared to low work-unit social capital was associated with a lower prevalence of workplace violence (OR = 0.47; 95% CI 0.36-0.61). <br><br>CONCLUSION: There was a prospective association between workplace violence and LTSA, but work-unit social capital did not buffer this effect. Furthermore, the results revealed an inverse association between work-unit social capital and workplace violence. The findings indicate that  in order to effectively reduce LTSA, preventive interventions need to both prevent workplace violence and strengthen social capital.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0340-0131",
doi="10.1007/s00420-019-01484-7",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00420-019-01484-7"
}