Worker role interview: Toward validation of a psychosocial work-related measure

Three studies were conducted to examine the validity of the Worker Pole Int erview (WRI), a semi-structured interview and rating scab designed to asses s psychosocial capacity for return to work in injured workers. The first Ra sch analysis study of 119 work-hardening clients with low back pain showed that scab items worked together to measure unidimensional construct, except for two work-environment items (work setting and boss); and the items were logically ordered representing the least to most psychosocial capacity for return to work. The second Rasch analysis study involved a refined scab (i ncluding redefinition of environment items to reflect the worker's percepti on of the environment) applied to 55 work-hardening clients with diverse in juries. All items except perception of boss defined a unidimensional constr uct. The ordering of items was similar to that in the first study and simil ar across two different diagnostic groups (low back and upper extremity inj uries), indicating the scale was sample invariant. The third study of 42 wo rk-hardening clients examined the predictive validity of the WRI, A logisti c regression, which included demographic variables (chronicity, diagnosis, number-of-surgeries, attorney involvement and age), showed that none of the variables predicted return to work (odds ratio ranged from 0.3-1.0). This initial series of studies present a theoretically based instrument, which s hows promising psychometric qualities. While the predictive study indicated that the WRI was not useful in predicting return to work, this finding may have been a function of the small n-size in the study or that the WRI may mediate its effect through other variables.