The effects on quality of life and psychological well-being of a health examination programme in a branch of Swedish industry were studied by means of questionnaires in 124 white-collar workers. They were asked to answer two questionnaires, one before and the other one month after the examination (the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and the Psychological General Well-being Schedule (PGWB)). Both are well-known and well-documented standard questionnaires used for estimating quality of life and degree of subjective well-being. The answers were compared with those of a control group comprising other white-collar workers in the same industry, of the same sex and age but who did not participate in the health examination and who were asked to complete the same questionnaires twice. The group that had participated in the health examination did not differ generally from the control group with respect to intra-individual differences as studied in the questionnaires on the two occasions. This indicates that no deterioration of quality of life or of psychological well-being was experienced by the participants in the health examination.
Fleetwood J , Packa DR.Determinants of health promoting behaviours in adults . J Cardiovasc Nurs1991; 5: 67–79.
2.
Ostwald S.Changing employees' dietary and exercise practices: an experimental study in a small company . J Occup Med1989; 31: 90–7.
3.
Levenkron J , Greenland P.Patient priorities for behavioral change: selecting from multiple coronary disease risk factors . J Gen Intern Med1988; 3: 224–9.
4.
Björkelund C , Bengtsson C , Carazo B , Palm L , Tarschys G , Wassen A.Effects of a community risk factor reducing programme on weight, body fat distribution and lipids in obese women . Int J Obes1991; 15: 251–8.
5.
Becker M.The tyranny of health promotion . Public Health Rev1986; 14: 15–23.
6.
Burdine J , McLeroy KB , Gottlieb NH.Ethical dilemmas in health promotion: an introduction . Health Educ Q1987; 14:7–9.
7.
Feldman W.How serious are the adverse effects of screening . J Gen Intern Med1990; 5: 50–3.
8.
Marteau T.Psychological costs of screening . BMJ1989; 299: 527 .
9.
Stoate H.Can health screening damage your health?J Roy Coll Gen Pract1989; 39: 193–5.
10.
Moum T , Naess S , Sörensen T , Tambs K , Holmen J.Hypertension labelling, life events and psychological well-being . Psychol Med1990; 20: 635–46.
11.
Christensen B.Psychological reactions to information about risk of ischaemic heart disease in general practice . Scand J Prim Health Care1995; 13: 164–7.
12.
Rose G , Bengtsson C.Evaluation of a laboratory health examination programme in a Swedish industry (Volvo) . Scand J Clin Lab Invest1991; 51: 155–60.
13.
Rose G , Bengtsson C.Follow-up study of participants in an extensive health examination programme at a Swedish industry . Klin Wochenschr1991; 69: 1146–51.
14.
Floodmark B.Blodprovstagning hos anamnestiskt friska personer är bortkastade pengar. (Blood test done in asymptomatic persons by anamnesis is throwing money away) . Läkartidningen1989; 86: 3134 .
15.
Mossey J , Shapio E.Self-rated health: a predictor of mortality among elderly . Am J Publ Health1982; 72: 800–8.
16.
Kaplan G , Camacho T.Perceived health and mortality: a nine-year follow-up of a human population laboratory cohort . Am J Epidemiol1983; 117: 292–304.
17.
Wallin L , Wright I.Psychosocial aspects of the work environment: a group approach . J Occup Med1986; 28: 384–93.
18.
Theorell T , Hamsten A , de Faire U , Orth-Gomer K , Perski A.Psychosocial work conditions before myocardial infarction in young men . Int J Cardiol1987; 15: 33–16.
19.
Wiklund I.NHP manual. Svensk version av Nottingham Health Profile, ett frågeformular som mäter hälsorelaterad livskvalitet. (Swedish version of Nottingham Health Profile, a questionnaire which measures health related quality of life) . Tryck OFTA Grafiska Göteborg.1992.
20.
Dupuy H.Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) index. In: Wenger NK , Masson ME , Furberg CD , Elinson J , editors. Assessment of quality of life in clinical trials of cardiovascular therapies. Le Jacq Publ Inc, USA, 1984; 170–83.
21.
Wiklund I , Romanus B , Hunt S.Self-assessed disability in patients with arthrosis of the hip joint. Reliability of the Swedish version of the Nottingham Health Profile . Int Disabil Stud1988; 10: 159–63.
22.
Wiklund I , Karlberg J.Evaluating quality of life in clinical trials; selection of quality of life measures . Control Clin Trials1991, 12 (suppl): 204S-16S.
23.
Wiklund I , Holst J , Karlberg J , Mattson L-Å , Samsioe G , Sandin K , Uvebrant M , von Schoultz B.A new methodology for evaluating quality of life in postmenopausal women during transdermal estrogen therapy . Maturitas1992; 14: 211–24.
24.
Wiklund I , Berg C , Hammar M , Karlberg J , Lindgren R , Sandin K.Long-term effect of transdermal hormonal therapy on aspects of quality of life in postmenopausal women . Maturitas.1992; 14: 225–36.
25.
Rosen T , Wiren L , Wilhelmsen L , Wiklund I , Bengtsson B-Å.Decreased psychological well-being in adult patients with growth hormone deficiency . Clin Endocrinol1994; 40: 111–6.
26.
Fazio A.A concurrent validational study of the NCHS general well-being schedule. Vital and health statistics series 2. 1977. Hyattsville, MD, National Center for Health Statistics No. 73.
27.
Alderman M , Lamport B.Labelling of hypertensives: a review of the data . J Clin Epidemiol1990; 43: 195–200.
28.
Crawford R.You are dangerous to your health: the ideology and politics of victim blaming . Int J Health Services1977; 7: 663–80.
29.
Apfel J.How are women sicker than men? An overview of psychosomatic problems in women . Psychother Psychosom1982; 37: 106–18.
30.
Wiklund I , Karlberg J , Lund B.Förbättrad livskvalitet av ginsengpreparat? Positiva effekter på friska förvävs-arbetande . Läkartidningen1995; 92: 3196–200.
31.
Wiklund I , Dimenäs E , Wahl M.Factors of importance when evaluating quality of life in clinical trials . Control Clin Trials1990; 11: 169–79.
32.
Poikolainen K.Doing good, doing harm: adverse effects of screening and health education in perspective . Ann Med1992; 24: 425–6.
33.
Mann A.Hypertension: psychological aspects and diagnostic impact in a clinical trial . Psychol Med Monogr Suppl1984; 5: 1–35.
34.
Råstam L , Ryden L.Work absenteeism and well-being in patients treated for hypertension . Eur Heart J1987; 8: 1024–31.
35.
Havas S , Reisman J , Hsu I , Koumjian L.Does cholesterol screening result in negative labeling effects?Arch Intern Med1991; 151: 113–9.
36.
Rudd P , Price M , Graham E , Beilstein A , Tarbell J , Bacchetti P , Fortmann P.Consequences of worksite hypertension screening. Differential changes in psychosocial function . Am J Med1986; 80: 853–60.
37.
Foxwell M , Alder E.More information equates with less anxiety. Reducing anxiety in cervical screening . Prof Nurse1993; 9: 32–6.
38.
Marteau T.Reducing the psychological costs . Br Med J1990; 301: 26–8.
39.
Theorell T.Stress syndromes . Ann Clin Res1987; 19: 53–61.
40.
Rose G , Segesten K.“Someone who cares”. Patients' experiences concerning health examinations . Scand J Caring Sci1995; 9: 105–12.
