A Cross-Sectional Study of Psychological Demands, Decision Authority and Social Support at Work in Norwegian Farmers Compared to Other Major Occupational Groups: The HUNT Study, Norway.

Abstract

Objectives: Farming is an occupation with high levels of occupational stress. The objective of this study was to explore psychological job demand, decision authority, and social support at work in Norwegian farmers compared to other occupational groups.

Methods: Data from the fourth wave of the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT4) was used, in which participants were registered with their main occupation, and items from the Swedish Demand-Control-Support (DCS) Questionnaire were included to measure self-reported psychosocial work environment. Each DCS dimension was dichotomized into high and low scores. Four job types were created by combining high and low scores of demand and decision authority (active, passive, low and high strain). Logistic regression analyses were used to explore associations between occupational groups and the three DCS dimensions, as well as job type.

Results: Of the 20,268 participants in our sample, 800 were farmers. A small proportion of farmers had a combination of high demands and low decision authority (2.3%). Overall, farmers stood out from the other manual occupational groups with high levels of demand and decision authority. Compared with other main occupational groups, farmers were most similar to managers in terms of having an active job (OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.66-0.94) and a high strain job (OR 0.95; 95% CI 0.57-1.74).

Conclusion: Although having a demanding occupation, the high decision authority experienced by most farmers prevents them from being in the high strain job category. Despite socioeconomic differences, farmers are more similar to managers than they are to other blue-collar workers with regards to psychosocial work environment.