Health complaints and satisfied with the job? A cross-sectional study on work environment, job satisfaction, and subjective health complaints.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of subjective health complaints (SHCs) among satisfied and dissatisfied workers. The second aim was to evaluate whether any SHC differences were attributable directly to the work environment or mediated by the individual perception of the environment (satisfactory or not). In a cross-sectional study of 458 employees (56% women) in 5 different organizations, work environment, job satisfaction, and SHC were measured. Satisfied workers reported an average of five to six subjective health complaints that correspond to the prevalence found in a Norwegian general population. Work environment explained 43% of the variance for job satisfaction and 9% of the variance in SHCs. SHCs are common among satisfied workers. Work environment has only a limited influence on this validated health indicator.