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To interrogate causal mechanisms, we apply genetic instrumental variable analysis (Mendelian randomisation) and, in HUNT only, bidirectional longitudinal analysis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      In cross-sectional analysis in both surveys, participants with a higher BMI were slightly more likely to report concurrent WPB, adjusted for confounders including socioeconomic position and psychological distress (meta-analysed absolute risk difference, ARD: 0.22% per kg\/m\n                      <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                      , 95%\u2009CI 0.15 to 0.29, meta-analysed OR: 1.02 per kg\/m\n                      <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                      , 95%\u2009CI 1.01 to 1.03). Genetic analysis found strong evidence for an impact of BMI on WPB only in MoBa, but not overall (meta-analysed ARD: 0.32% per kg\/m\n                      <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                      , 95%\u2009CI \u22120.29 to 0.93). In longitudinal analyses using HUNT data, there was less evidence that earlier BMI affected WPB onset (ARD: 0.08% per kg\/m\n                      <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                      , 95%\u2009CI \u22120.10 to 0.25, with raised risk for participants with class I but not class II obesity at baseline). However, WPB in 2006\u20132008 was associated with higher BMI in 2017\u201319 (beta: 0.16 kg\/m\n                      <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                      (95%\u2009CI 0.02 to 0.29)). Stratified analyses found inconsistent evidence of age, sex and socioeconomic modification, but suggested stronger associations pre-2020.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In two large Norwegian surveys, we found inconclusive evidence from genetic models that higher BMI increased the risk of WPB. Longitudinal analysis (possible only in HUNT) found mixed evidence that higher BMI increased risk of WPB, but clearly suggested that WPB affected BMI over time, consistent with an impact of psychosocial stress on BMI. Results underscore the negative consequences of WPB for physical as well as mental health.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjph-2025-003665","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T16:40:17Z","timestamp":1781196017000},"page":"e003665","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Body mass index and workplace bullying: exploring causality in two general population Norwegian surveys, the HUNT study and the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa)"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"4","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5896-7650","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amanda M","family":"Hughes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK"},{"name":"Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gunnhild \u00c5berge","family":"Vie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"General Practice Research Unit, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alexandra","family":"Havdahl","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"PsychGen Centre, Division of Public Health and Prevention, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway"},{"name":"Research Department, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Doriane","family":"Mignon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"HOPE, School of Health Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK"},{"name":"Department of Economics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christina","family":"Hansen Edwards","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"General Practice Research Unit, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway"},{"name":"Division of Mental Health Care, St Olavs Hospital Universitetssykehuset i Trondheim, Trondheim, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026061109401259000_4.2.e003665.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1016\/j.avb.2018.06.007","article-title":"What we know, what we do not know, and what we should and could have known about workplace bullying: An overview of the literature and agenda for future research","volume":"42","author":"Nielsen","year":"2018","journal-title":"Aggress Violent Behav"},{"key":"2026061109401259000_4.2.e003665.2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"70","DOI":"10.1108\/01437729910268669","article-title":"Organisational, work group related and personal causes of mobbing\/bullying at work","volume":"20","author":"Zapf","year":"1999","journal-title":"Int J Manpow"},{"key":"2026061109401259000_4.2.e003665.3","unstructured":"NHS . 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