SLOSH-study The Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health

The Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) is a longitudinal study initiated in 2006 by the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm University. The study aims to provide a basis for more effective occupational health efforts and to increase the understanding of work-related ill health in Sweden. With its longitudinal design, following the same individuals with similar questions over time, the study allows for analyses of causal sequences in presumed chains of events. On behalf of the Stress Research Institute, Statistics Sweden (SCB) sends out surveys every two years. Registry data on, among other things, sick leave and hospital admissions are linked to the responses both retrospectively (back in time) and prospectively (forward in time). SLOSH is based on the 2003-2019 Swedish Work Environment Surveys (AMU). In March 2006, a follow-up was conducted with the 9,200 people who responded to AMU in 2003, by sending out questionnaires by mail. Since then, data collections have been carried out every two years up until 2024, with an additional data collection in 2023. The questionnaire sent to participants is available in two versions: one for those who are employed and one for those who are not employed. The questionnaire for employed individuals includes questions on work organization, work environment, lifestyle, social situations outside of work, and health. The questionnaire for non-employed individuals is similar to the one for employed individuals but, instead of questions about work, it includes questions relevant to retirees, fully disability-pensioned individuals, the unemployed, students, long-term sick leave recipients, parents on parental leave, homemakers, and others who have temporarily or permanently stopped working. Starting from the 2022 data collection, web-based surveys were prioritized over paper surveys. Purpose: The purpose of SLOSH is to investigate longitudinal relationships between work organization, the work environment (especially psychosocial factors), workforce participation, health, and well-being, taking into account social conditions, individual differences, health behaviors and coping strategies, the interaction between work and private life, sleep, aging, and economic fluctuations.