The effect of job strain and worksite social support on reported side effects of COVID-19 vaccine: a prospective study of employees in Japan

Objectives

This prospective study aimed to examine the association of job demands, job control, and the lack of supervisor and coworker support with side effects after receiving COVID-19 vaccination in a sample of employees in Japan.

Methods

The data were retrieved from an online panel of full-time employees (E- COCO- J). The analysis included participants who were employed and were not vaccinated at baseline (June 2021) but received vaccination at a four-month follow-up (October 2021). An 11-item scale measured the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Four types of psychosocial working conditions (i.e., job demands, job control, and supervisor and coworker support) were measured using the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ). Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between the psychosocial working conditions and side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, adjusting for gender, age, educational attainment, marital status, occupation, chronic disease, dose of vaccination, anxiety from potential side effects of vaccines, fear and worry about COVID-19, and psychological distress at baseline.

Results

Overall, 747 employees were included in the analysis. The average number of side effects was 3.78 (SD=2.19): Arm pain (81.1%), fatigues (64.1%), muscle pains (63.3%), and fever (37.5 degrees Celsius +) (53.5%) were reported more frequently. Coworker support score was significantly and negatively associated with the numbers of side effects (standardized β=-0.122, p=0.017). Women, young age, second time vaccination, and high psychological distress were significantly associated with several side effects.

Conclusions

Employees with low coworker support may be more likely to have side effects after COVID-19 vaccinations. The findings of this study could inform employees with low coworker support that increasing workplace support may reduce the side effects.

Highlights

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  The effect of poor psychosocial working conditions on side effects after COVID-19 vaccinations was unknown.

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  Poor coworker support at baseline was significantly associated with increased side effects after COVID-19 vaccinations.

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  Informing workers with low coworker support about the findings may help them prepare for the side effect and motivate them to improve coworker support to reduce side effects.