Association between Migraine and Workplace Social Support in the Social Context of China: Using a Validated Chinese Version of the DCSQ

Du Wei; Yue Chang; Xiaolong Lu; Xingying Fan; Jiaqi Hu; Otilia Manta; Mohammed K A Kaabar

doi:10.3390/healthcare11020171

Association between Migraine and Workplace Social Support in the Social Context of China: Using a Validated Chinese Version of the DCSQ

Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Jan 5;11(2):171. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11020171.

Authors

Du Wei^{1

2}, Yue Chang¹, Xiaolong Lu¹, Xingying Fan¹, Jiaqi Hu¹, Otilia Manta^{3

4}, Mohammed K A Kaabar⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Medicine and Health Management, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China.
² Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
³ Center for Financial and Monetary Research "Victor Slavescu", Romanian Academy, 012101 Bucharest, Romania.
⁴ The Research Department, Romanian-American University, 012101 Bucharest, Romania.
⁵ Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.

Abstract

Background: Workplace social support might have a protective function against migraine in the social context of China, as close co-worker relationships and collectivism are acknowledged as work values in Chinese society.

Objectives: This paper aimed to analyse the association between migraine and workplace social support. The validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the Support scale of the Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire (DCSQ) used were also determined.

Methods: Following international guidelines, this study was carried out in two stages. Stage I involved translations and pilot testing to assess content and face validity of the Chinese version of the DCSQ Support scale. Stage II was a cross-sectional survey (N = 677 bank employees) to evaluate structural validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the Support scale, as well as to examine the association between workplace social support and a migraine-positive diagnosis.

Results: A high level of social support in the workplace was associated with a 74% decreased likelihood of migraine (adjusted OR = 0.26, 95%CI: 0.14-0.46). Of the six aspects of workplace social support, co-worker support had the greatest protective effect (adjusted OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.39-0.60). The Chinese version of the DCSQ Support scale established satisfactory content and face validity (I-CVIs ≥ 0.78; S-CVI_AVE ≥ 0.90). Confirmatory factor analysis verified its one-dimensional theoretical factor, with adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's α 0.98; item-total correlations ≥ 0.80) and test-retest reliability (weighted Kappa coefficients 0.81-0.87; percentages agreement 85.23-88.92%).

Conclusions: In the Chinese social context, workplace social support could protect against migraine, with the strongest benefit coming from co-workers. This study also provides a Chinese-language DCSQ Support scale as a valid and reliable instrument for measuring workplace social support.

Keywords: demand-control-support questionnaire; migraine disorder; reliability; social support; validity.

Grants and funding

KY[2022]241/The Youth Science and Technology Talent Promotion Project of Guizhou Educational Department, China