SLOSH-study The Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health - 2012

The Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) is a unique prospective study on work environment and health. SLOSH was initiated by the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm University in 2006 and aims to study the complex relationships between work organization, work environment, labour market participation and health. Commissioned by Stress Research Institute, Statistics Sweden (SCB) mails self-completion questionnaires to the participants every second. Registry data are linked both retrospectively and prospectively. SLOSH is based on the Swedish Work Environment Surveys of 2003 and 2005 (SWES). The first follow-up was conducted in March 2006, when all the 9,200 participants of the SWES 2003 were mailed self-completion questionnaires. In 2008, the second follow-up was realized, where also participants of the 2005 SWES were invited to participate. The core of the SLOSH therefore consists of a total of 18 915 persons. The third follow-up was conducted in 2010, which also included 2,553 participants from Stockholm and Västra Götaland who has responded to SWES 2007, a fourth follow-up in 2012, and a fifth data collection during spring 2014. Continued follow-ups are planned for every other year. The survey is available in two versions, one for participants in gainful employment and one for those who are not gainfully employed or work more than 30 percent. The survey for those in gainful employment is divided into three parts with the first part containing questions from SWES, but also new questions about changes in employment, demand and control at work, effort and reward, organizational justice, leadership etc. The second part is about health and wellbeing and the third section highlights the general life situation. Also the survey for those who have temporarily or permanently left the labour market is divided into three parts, where the second and third part is almost identical to the survey for workers. The first part deals with questions about current supply, reasons why for not working and the positive and negative aspects of not being gainfully employed. In order not to burden the participants with too many questions, questionnaire data is linked to register data on employment, sick leave, hospitalisation etc. both prospectively and back in time. Purpose: SLOSH is a unique prospective study on work environment and health. It is expected to provide a basis for improvements of work environment and to contribute to a better understanding regarding work-related ill-health in Sweden and other countries. During spring 2012, a fourth follow-up was conducted. The follow-up included those who participated in the Swedish Work Environment Surveys of 2003 and 2005 (SWES). The sample consisted of 17,409 individuals. A total of 9880 respondents answered to one of the two questionnaires that was sent out, with a response rate of 56,8 percent. 7,325 respondents answered the questionnaire for working persons, and 2,555 answered the questionnaire for non-working persons.