Digital transformation: The role of computer use in employee health.

Autor: Dengler K; Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Regensburger Strasse 104, 90478 Nuremberg, Germany. Electronic address: Katharina.Dengler@iab.de., Hiesinger K; Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Regensburger Strasse 104, 90478 Nuremberg, Germany. Electronic address: Karolin.Hiesinger@iab.de., Tisch A; Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Friedrich-Henkel-Weg 1-25, 44149 Dortmund, Germany. Electronic address: Tisch.Anita@baua.bund.de.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Economics and human biology [Econ Hum Biol] 2022 Aug; Vol. 46, pp. 101137. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Mar 29.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2022.101137
Abstrakt: This paper studies employee health in the context of digital transformation in Germany. While most studies have focused on mental health, we focus on physical health. Using pooled survey data, we estimate how an increased use of computers in the workplace relates to subjective health and work-related health complaints. We find that employees using the computer frequently report better subjective health and a significantly lower prevalence of back pain and physical exhaustion. After controlling for physical work exposures, the health-promoting effect of computer use is much smaller, suggesting that high computer use is associated with a less physically demanding work environment, which in turn relates to better (physical) health outcomes. While digital transformation seems to foster physical health, there are hints that mental health could deteriorate. Thus, the focus of occupational health is shifting towards the prevention of mental stress.
(Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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