Alex Burdorf
Biographic Data
| ID | 5709408 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alex Burdorf |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alex |
| FAMILY NAME | Burdorf |
| SIGNATURE | BURDORF A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Erasmus MC |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3129-2862 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 56 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 68 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 56 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Personalised incentives for supporting tobacco cessation (Persist) among healthcare employees
The effectiveness of financial incentives for smoking cessation can be further enhanced by personalising incentives. We aimed to investigate the effect of personalised incentives on abstinence among health care employees who participated in a group-based smoking cessation training, but prematurely terminated the trial due to recruitment issues. All participants (n = 31; 14% of n = 220 required) underwent group-based smoking cessation training. Ba…
The effect of mental health problems on having a ‘neither in employment nor in education or training’ period and the mediating role of high school dropout
INTRODUCTION: This study investigates (1) whether mental health problems among individuals aged 12-15 years impact (a) high school dropout (ages 16-20 years) and (b) having a 'neither in employment nor in education or training' (NEET) period (ages 21-26 years); (2) the process of mediation and interaction by high school dropout in the association between mental health problems and NEET; and (3) whether these associations differ based on (non-)emp…
Precarious work and methodological challenges to study hard-to-reach populations
OBJECTIVE: To describe the methodological challenges and strategies of a web survey on the working conditions and health among delivery workers. METHODS: The study population consisted of Brazilian delivery workers operating in the national territory. Procedures include building solid and ongoing collaboration with worker representatives and conducting a four-month data collection from February to May 2022, sharing the link to the online question…
Personalized sleep and nutritional strategies to combat adverse effects of night shift work
This trial has been registered under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT06147089. Registered 27 November 2023
Complexity and interplay of faced adversities and perceived health and well-being in highly vulnerable pregnant women—the Mothers of Rotterdam program
This study shows that highly vulnerable pregnant women deal with multiple adversities affecting not only their social and economic position but also their health and well-being
Reach and effectiveness of a worksite health promotion program combining a preventive medical examination with motivational interviewing; a quasi-experimental study among workers in low socioeconomic …
Background This study aimed to evaluate individual characteristics associated with participation and effectiveness of a worksite health promotion program with motivational interviewing targeting health and health behaviour among Dutch workers in low socioeconomic position. Methods In a production company and a hospital, 838 workers were invited for a Preventive Medical Examination and subsequent coaching with motivational interviewing up to 7 ses…
Impact of mental disorders during education on work participation
BACKGROUND: Mental disorders are a leading cause of disability and a major threat to work participation in young adults. This register-based longitudinal study aims to investigate the influence of mental disorders on entering and exiting paid employment among young graduates and to explore differences across socioeconomic groups. METHODS: Register information on sociodemographics (age, sex, migration background) and employment status of 2 346 393…
Inequalities in the impact of having a chronic disease on entering permanent paid employment
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate among unemployed persons (1) the impact of having a chronic disease on entering paid employment and obtaining a permanent contract and (2) whether these associations differed by educational attainment. METHODS: Register data from Statistics Netherlands on employment status, contract type, medication and sociodemographic characteristics were linked. Dutch unemployed persons between 18 and 64 years (n=667…
Estimation of the influence of protective behaviour on expected injuries in transport accidents with hazardous materials
The release of hazardous materials due to transport accidents can have major health consequences for bystanders. The number of casualties will partly be determined by their protective behaviour. This study describes a three-step approach to predict health consequences of protective behaviour (for example, hiding or escaping) of bystanders in the first minutes of a transport accident with hazardous material. First, a discrete choice experiment (DC…
Socio-economic determinants of healthcare costs in early life
More neighborhood deprivation was directly related to higher healthcare costs in young children. On top of this, lower household income was consistently and independently related to higher healthcare costs. By optimizing conditions for low SES populations, the impact of low SES circumstances on their healthcare costs can be positively influenced. Additionally, policies that influence more timely and appropriate healthcare use in low SES populatio…
Study design of PerfectFit@Night, a workplace health promotion program to improve sleep, fatigue, and recovery of night shift workers in the healthcare sector
Netherlands Trial Register trial number NL9224 . Registered 17 January 2021
Do chronic diseases moderate the association between psychosocial working conditions and work exit? Longitudinal results from 55 950 Dutch workers
BACKGROUND: This study aims to examine whether the presence of chronic diseases or multimorbidity moderates the associations between psychosocial working conditions and work exit through unemployment, work disability or early retirement. METHODS: Data from Lifelines (n=55 950), a prospective population-based cohort study, were enriched with monthly information on employment status from Statistics Netherlands. Working conditions were measured with…
Estimates of female genital mutilation/cutting in the Netherlands
The current study has provided insight into direct estimation of FGM/C through a survey of midwifery practices in the Netherlands. Evidence based on midwifery practices data can be regarded as a minimum benchmark for actual prevalence among the subpopulation of women who gave birth in a given year
Does reduced employment protection increase the employment disadvantage of workers with low education and poorer health
Background Declines in employment protection may have disproportionate effects on employment opportunities of workers with low education and poorer health. This study investigates the impact of changes in employment protection levels on employment rates according to education and health in 23 European countries. Methods Data were taken from the 4-year rotating panel European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions study. Employed partici…
Stress among university students
In sum, our results suggest that the ERI-SQ is a valid, reliable and robust instrument for the measurement of stress among Italian university students
Evaluation of Implementing a Home-Based Fall Prevention Program among Community-Dwelling Older Adults
We aimed to describe and evaluate the implementation of a home-based exercise program among community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years. In an observational study, the twelve-week program was implemented in a community setting. The implementation plan consisted of dialogues with healthcare professionals and older adults, development of an implementation protocol, recruitment of participants, program implementation, and implementation evaluation. The…
Patterns in the Occurrence and Duration of Musculoskeletal Pain and Interference with Work among Eldercare Workers—A One-Year Longitudinal Study with Measurements Every Four Weeks
The objective of this study was to examine patterns of musculoskeletal pain episodes over time. We conducted a one-year follow-up study among 275 eldercare workers with measurements of musculoskeletal pain (low back pain (LBP) and neck/shoulder pain (NSP)) and pain-related work interference (PWI) reported via text message every four weeks. We found a constant, high four-weekly prevalence of LBP and NSP (between 61% and 72%). The distributions of …
Income inequality and psychological distress at neighbourhood and municipality level
New physical activity spaces in deprived neighborhoods
Introducing dedicated PA spaces may be a promising approach to increase outdoor play for children from more socioeconomically disadvantaged families, but larger studies are needed to contribute to the evidence
Influence of chronic diseases on societal participation in paid work, volunteering and informal caregiving in Europe
BACKGROUND: This study aims to provide insight into (1) the associations between having a chronic disease and participation in paid work, volunteer activities or informal care, (2) the associations between the onset of a chronic disease and these forms of societal participation, and (3) whether these associations differ across educational level and gender. METHODS: The study population consisted of n=21 875 respondents of the Survey of Health, Ag…
Effectiveness of the blended-care lifestyle intervention ‘PerfectFit’
Retrospectively registered at the Netherlands Trial Registry with number NTR4894 , at Nov 14 2014
Targeted social care for highly vulnerable pregnant women
The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 5.120 (2020 JCR, received in June 2021)
Health-related behaviours mediate the relation between ethnicity and (mental) health in the Netherlands
Lower physical activity and smoking more cigarettes partly explained ethnic health inequalities in the Netherlands. The current findings suggest that intervening and facilitating certain ethnic groups in engaging in health behaviours could contribute to improving their health and reduce ethnic health inequalities
Ethnic inequalities in psychological distress among urban residents in the Netherlands
Health insurance coverage, neonatal mortality and caesarean section deliveries
BACKGROUND: Low-income and middle-income countries have introduced different health insurance schemes over the past decades, but whether different schemes are associated with different neonatal outcomes is yet unknown. We examined the association between the health insurance coverage scheme and neonatal mortality in Colombia. METHODS: We used Colombian national vital registration data, including all live births (2 506 920) and neonatal deaths (17…
The effects of ill health on entering and maintaining paid employment
Objectives: To examine the effects of ill health on selection into paid employment in European countries. Methods: Five annual waves (1994–8) of the European Community Household Panel were used to select two populations: (1) 4446 subjects unemployed for at least 2 years, of which 1590 (36%) subjects found employment in the next year, and (2) 57 436 subjects employed for at least 2 years, of which 6191 (11%) subjects left the workforce in the next…
The influence of chronic health problems and work-related factors on loss of paid employment among older workers
BACKGROUND: With an ageing society and increasing retirement ages, it is important to understand how employability can be promoted in older workers with health problems. The current study aimed to determine whether (1) different chronic health problems predict transitions from paid employment to disability benefits, unemployment and early retirement, and (2) how work-related factors modify these associations. METHODS: Self-report questionnaire da…
The effect of re-employment on perceived health
BACKGROUND: The relationship between unemployment and poor health has been well established. Unemployment causes poor health, and poor health increases the probability of unemployment. METHODS: A prospective study with 6 months' follow-up was conducted among unemployed participants receiving social security benefits who were capable of full-time employment and were referred to a re-employment training centre. Re-employment was defined as ending s…
The impact of nursing homes on small-area life expectancies
Socio-demographic determinants of worsening in frailty among community-dwelling older people in 11 European countries
BACKGROUND: The rapid increase of frail older people worldwide will have a substantial impact on healthcare systems. The frailty process may be delayed or even reversed, which makes it attractive for early interventions. However, little is known about the determinants of frailty state changes. The aim of this study is to compare socio-demographic determinants of worsening in frailty state in 11 European countries. METHODS: Data of 14,424 communit…
Trends in inequalities in premature cancer mortality by educational level in Colombia, 1998–2007
BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of studies on socioeconomic inequalities in cancer mortality in developing countries. We examined trends in inequalities in cancer mortality by educational attainment in Colombia during a period of epidemiological transition and rapid expansion of health insurance coverage. METHODS: Population mortality data (1998-2007) were linked to census data to obtain age-standardised cancer mortality rates by educational attai…
Influence of chronic diseases on societal participation in paid work, volunteering and informal caregiving in Europe
BACKGROUND: This study aims to provide insight into (1) the associations between having a chronic disease and participation in paid work, volunteer activities or informal care, (2) the associations between the onset of a chronic disease and these forms of societal participation, and (3) whether these associations differ across educational level and gender. METHODS: The study population consisted of n=21 875 respondents of the Survey of Health, Ag…
New physical activity spaces in deprived neighborhoods
Introducing dedicated PA spaces may be a promising approach to increase outdoor play for children from more socioeconomically disadvantaged families, but larger studies are needed to contribute to the evidence
Ethnic inequalities in psychological distress among urban residents in the Netherlands
The effect of urban green on small-area (healthy) life expectancy
BACKGROUND: Several epidemiological studies have investigated the effect of the quantity of green space on health outcomes such as self-rated health, morbidity and mortality ratios. These studies have consistently found positive associations between the quantity of green and health. However, the impact of other aspects, such as the perceived quality and average distance to public green, and the effect of urban green on population health are still…
The Impact of Increasing Health Insurance Coverage on Disparities in Mortality
Objectives. We examined the impact of expanding health insurance coverage on socioeconomic disparities in total and cardiovascular disease mortality from 1998 to 2007 in Colombia. Methods. We used Poisson regression to analyze data from mortality registries (633 905 deaths) linked to population census data. We used the relative index of inequality to compare disparities in mortality by education between periods of moderate increase (1998–2002) an…
Impact of mental disorders during education on work participation
BACKGROUND: Mental disorders are a leading cause of disability and a major threat to work participation in young adults. This register-based longitudinal study aims to investigate the influence of mental disorders on entering and exiting paid employment among young graduates and to explore differences across socioeconomic groups. METHODS: Register information on sociodemographics (age, sex, migration background) and employment status of 2 346 393…
Health-related behaviours mediate the relation between ethnicity and (mental) health in the Netherlands
Lower physical activity and smoking more cigarettes partly explained ethnic health inequalities in the Netherlands. The current findings suggest that intervening and facilitating certain ethnic groups in engaging in health behaviours could contribute to improving their health and reduce ethnic health inequalities
Health insurance coverage, neonatal mortality and caesarean section deliveries
BACKGROUND: Low-income and middle-income countries have introduced different health insurance schemes over the past decades, but whether different schemes are associated with different neonatal outcomes is yet unknown. We examined the association between the health insurance coverage scheme and neonatal mortality in Colombia. METHODS: We used Colombian national vital registration data, including all live births (2 506 920) and neonatal deaths (17…
The (cost-)effectiveness of an individually tailored long-term worksite health promotion programme on physical activity and nutrition
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN52854353
The effects of ill health on entering and maintaining paid employment
Objectives: To examine the effects of ill health on selection into paid employment in European countries. Methods: Five annual waves (1994–8) of the European Community Household Panel were used to select two populations: (1) 4446 subjects unemployed for at least 2 years, of which 1590 (36%) subjects found employment in the next year, and (2) 57 436 subjects employed for at least 2 years, of which 6191 (11%) subjects left the workforce in the next…
Unemployment and retirement and ill-health
OBJECTIVE: To determine the associations between different measures of health and labor market position across ten European countries. METHODS: We studied 11,462 participants of the Survey on Health and Ageing in Europe (SHARE) who were 50-64 years old. Logistic regression was used to calculate the associations between health and other determinants and being retired, unemployed, or a homemaker. RESULTS: A large variation across European countries…
Determinants of participation in worksite health promotion programmes
Changes in physical health among participants in a multidisciplinary health programme for long-term unemployed persons
Participants with the poorest physical health benefited most from the programme and gender differences in improvement were observed. Physical health of unemployed persons with health complaints improved after participation in this health promotion programme, but not sufficiently, considering their poor physical health at baseline
Effectiveness of a health promotion programme for long-term unemployed subjects with health problems
BACKGROUND: Employment status is an important determinant of health inequalities. Among unemployed people, poor health decreases the likelihood of re-employment. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial with 6 months' follow-up among unemployed people with health complaints receiving social security benefits from the city of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. In total, 456 people were assigned to the control group and 465 people to the intervention group.…
The effect of re-employment on perceived health
BACKGROUND: The relationship between unemployment and poor health has been well established. Unemployment causes poor health, and poor health increases the probability of unemployment. METHODS: A prospective study with 6 months' follow-up was conducted among unemployed participants receiving social security benefits who were capable of full-time employment and were referred to a re-employment training centre. Re-employment was defined as ending s…
Socioeconomic inequalities in occupational, leisure-time, and transport related physical activity among European adults
The impact of nursing homes on small-area life expectancies
Socio-demographic determinants of worsening in frailty among community-dwelling older people in 11 European countries
BACKGROUND: The rapid increase of frail older people worldwide will have a substantial impact on healthcare systems. The frailty process may be delayed or even reversed, which makes it attractive for early interventions. However, little is known about the determinants of frailty state changes. The aim of this study is to compare socio-demographic determinants of worsening in frailty state in 11 European countries. METHODS: Data of 14,424 communit…
Workplace Health Promotion
Is retirement good for your health? A systematic review of longitudinal studies
The influence of re-employment on quality of life and self-rated health, a longitudinal study among unemployed persons in the Netherlands
Starting with paid employment improves quality of life and self-rated health. This suggests that labour force participation should be considered as an important measure to improve health of unemployed persons. Improving possibilities for unemployed persons to find paid employment will reduce socioeconomic inequalities in health
Pathways through which health influences early retirement
Poor and good health influence early retirement via several different pathways. To prolong working life, a dialogue between employers and employees and tailored work-related interventions may be helpful
Small-area health comparisons using health-adjusted life expectancies
The Impact of Increasing Health Insurance Coverage on Disparities in Mortality
Objectives. We examined the impact of expanding health insurance coverage on socioeconomic disparities in total and cardiovascular disease mortality from 1998 to 2007 in Colombia. Methods. We used Poisson regression to analyze data from mortality registries (633 905 deaths) linked to population census data. We used the relative index of inequality to compare disparities in mortality by education between periods of moderate increase (1998–2002) an…
Clustering of drinker prototype characteristics
Prototypes (social images) have been shown to influence behaviour, which is likely to depend on the type of image. Prototype evaluation is based on (un)desirable characteristics related to that image. By an elicitation procedure we examined which adjectives are attributed to specific drinker prototypes. In total 149 young Dutch adults (18–25 years of age) provided adjectives for five drinker prototypes: abstainer, moderate drinker, heavy drinker,…
Influence of poor health on exit from paid employment
The influence of lifestyle and gender on sickness absence in Brazilian workers
The higher occurrence of sick leave among women than among men was partly explained by type of work and educational level. Our results suggest that type of work, a stressful life, and smoking are important targets for health promotion in this study population
How needs and preferences of employees influence participation in health promotion programs
HPPs aimed at physical activity were most needed by employees. The majority of employees favor HPPs organized via the employer above those at their own discretion, supporting the provision of HPPs at the workplace. This study provides some indications that a higher agreement between employees' needs and preferences and HPPs made available by their employers will enhance participation
Barriers and facilitators for participation in health promotion programs among employees
Participation in HPPs among employees is limited. Intention to participate predicted actual participation in a HPP after six months of follow-up. However, only 21% of employees with a positive intention actually participated during follow-up. Barriers, facilitators, beliefs about health at work, social-cognitive factors, and a poor self-perceived health status were associated with intention to participate, but hardly influenced actual participati…
The effect of urban green on small-area (healthy) life expectancy
BACKGROUND: Several epidemiological studies have investigated the effect of the quantity of green space on health outcomes such as self-rated health, morbidity and mortality ratios. These studies have consistently found positive associations between the quantity of green and health. However, the impact of other aspects, such as the perceived quality and average distance to public green, and the effect of urban green on population health are still…
Lifestyle factors, direct and indirect costs for a Brazilian airline company
OBJECTIVE To analyze lifestyle risk factors related to direct healthcare costs and the indirect costs due to sick leave among workers of an airline company in Brazil. METHODS In this longitudinal 12-month study of 2,201 employees of a Brazilian airline company, the costs of sick leave and healthcare were the primary outcomes of interest. Information on the independent variables, such as gender, age, educational level, type of work, stress, and li…
Social Participation and Depression in Old Age
We examined whether changes in different forms of social participation were associated with changes in depressive symptoms in older Europeans. We used lagged individual fixed-effects models based on data from 9,068 persons aged ≥50 years in wave 1 (2004/2005), wave 2 (2006/2007), and wave 4 (2010/2011) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). After we controlled for a wide set of confounders, increased participation in re…
The public health impact of economic fluctuations in a Latin American country
The relationship between business cycles and mortality varied by period and age in Colombia. Most notably, mortality shifted from being acyclical to being countercyclical for males aged 20-44, while it shifted from being countercyclical to being acyclical for males aged 65
Medicine (47 works) · Environmental health (31 works) · Gerontology (23 works) · Demography (22 works) · Population (22 works) · Workplace Health and Well-being (21 works) · Public health (20 works) · Nursing (19 works) · Psychology (19 works) · Employment and Welfare Studies (16 works)