Work organization, job insecurity, and occupational health disparities

Modification Effect of Job Demand and Contingent Work Schedule on Overweight and Obesity Among Civil Servants in Taiwan

OBJECTIVE

Evidence indicated that shift work is a contributing factor to risk of obesity and leads to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), but few researches have examined the moderating effects of job demand and contingent work schedule on overweight and obesity. Thus, we assessed the modification effect of contingent work schedules and job demand on overweight and obesity among Taiwan's civil servants.

METHODS

Multistage stratified random cluster sampling was used based on a proportional probabilistic sampling (PPS) in a national survey for civil servants. A total of 20,046 participants from 647 registered governmental institutions were enrolled and anonymously and voluntarily filled out web-based questionnaires.

RESULTS

Compared to fixed work schedule, odd ratios (ORs) of obesity and overweight were 1.63 and 1.78 times in contingent work schedule, respectively. In addition, the modification effects of contingent work schedule and high job demand on overweight and obesity with Rothman's synergy index were 2.43 and 2.56, respectively. Using a hierarchical regression model adjusted for covariates, both high job demand and contingent work schedule were interactively associated with overweight and obesity compared to low job demand and fixed work schedule.

CONCLUSION

Since precarious schedules affect employee's obesity through work-related stress and unhealthy behaviors, further research is needed to determine whether interventions aimed at modification of work schedule may be useful in combating obesity.

Inequitable Flow of Animals in and Out of Shelters: Comparison of Community-Level Vulnerability for Owner-Surrendered and Subsequently Adopted Animals

There is increasing awareness among animal shelter professionals regarding the role of shelters in perpetuating inequities in pet ownership, although the relationship between owner vulnerabilities and animal shelter services is largely understudied. Currently, there is no literature comparing the sociodemographic conditions of communities where surrendered animals originate and communities where they are adopted. The present study compared the "flow" of surrendered animals between originating communities (incoming) and communities where they were adopted (outgoing; n = 21,270). To analyze community-level vulnerability, we used the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD), which has four dimensions of social vulnerability. We found that three of the four CIMD dimensions were significantly different between surrendering and adopting communities (Ethnocultural Composition, Situational Vulnerability (SV), Economic Dependency, but not Residential Instability). For further investigation, we also grouped our analysis by intake groups (small animal n = 2,682; puppy n = 973; dog n = 3,446; kitten n = 6,436; cat n= 7,733) and found multiple relationships for which the incoming and outgoing CIMD quintiles were different. For example, for both puppies and kittens, the median outgoing SV quintile ranks were statistically significantly lower (less vulnerable) than incoming quintile ranks, with the effect size being moderate (puppy r = 0.31, kitten r = 0.30; p ≤ 0.0025), supporting the concern of the flow of certain animals from more vulnerable to less vulnerable communities. The results of this research provide a basis for understanding potential inequities in the use of shelter services to surrender or adopt an animal. Furthermore, these methods allow animal shelters to assess community needs and create interventions to reduce intake and increase adoption of animals. Finally, these data provide further support that animal sheltering is best considered from a One Welfare perspective.

Age and gender differences in the relationship between obesity and disability with self-perceived employment discrimination: Results from a retrospective study of an Australian national sample

BACKGROUND

Health status is a crucial determinant of an individuals' labour market outcomes. The present study investigates the association between obesity and disability with perceived employment discrimination within Australia.

METHODS

A total of 17,174 person-year observations from the 11,079 respondents were analysed using four waves of data from the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. The primary outcome examined was employment discrimination, using obesity and disability as the main exposure variables. The longitudinal random-effects regression technique was applied to investigate the between-person differences in employment discrimination associated with obesity and disability.

RESULTS

The findings suggest that more than one in ten (12.68 %) Australians experienced employment discrimination. The odds of being discriminated against while applying for a job were 1.56 times (aOR: 1.56, 95 % CI: 1.15-2.11) higher for obese than their healthy weight counterparts in youngest women. Adults with a disability had 1.89 times (aOR: 1.89, 95 % CI: 1.65-2.17) higher odds of being discriminated against than peers without disability.

CONCLUSION

The results provide evidence that obesity and disability contribute to employment discrimination in Australia. The findings can assist government and related agencies to consider the adequacy of existing discrimination legislation and help organisations to develop appropriate policies to address discrimination against obese and disabled people in their workplaces.

Self-Reported Physical Demands Associated With Crops and Job Tasks Among Latinx Hired Child Farmworkers

OBJECTIVE

Physical demands of work performed by Latinx hired child farmworkers are poorly understood. This paper describes crops, tasks performed, and the most common dimensions of physical demands of work in this population.

METHODS

Survey interviews were conducted in 2017 with 202 Latinx children aged 10 to 17 years employed on North Carolina farms. Analysis focused on job characteristics for the past week and included factor analysis of an 18-item questionnaire on physical work demands.

RESULTS

The most common crops and tasks reported were topping/suckering tobacco and picking sweet potatoes or berries. Three factors (awkward postures, repetitive motion, strenuous work) accounted for 53% of the variance in physical demands.

CONCLUSIONS

Follow-up of hired child farmworkers should be undertaken to understand the long-term effects of physical work demands on their health.

Physical work conditions and disparities in later life functioning: Potential pathways

Research in the US on the social determinants of reduced physical functioning at older ages has typically not considered physical work conditions as contributors to disparities. We briefly describe a model of occupational stratification and segregation, review and synthesize the occupational health literature, and outline the physiological pathways through which physical work exposures may be tied to long-term declines in physical functioning. The literature suggests that posture, force, vibration, and repetition are the primary occupational risk factors implicated in the development of musculoskeletal disorders, through either acute injuries or longer-term wear and tear. Personal risk factors and environmental and structural work characteristics can modify this association. In the long-term, these musculoskeletal disorders can become chronic and ultimately lead to functional limitations and disabilities that interfere with one's quality of life and ability to remain independent. We then use data on occupational characteristics from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) linked to the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) to examine disparities among sociodemographic groups in exposure to these risk factors. Occupations with high levels of these physical demands are not limited to those traditionally thought of as manual or blue-collar jobs and include many positions in the service sector. We document a steep education gradient with less educated workers experiencing far greater physical demands at work than more educated workers. There are pronounced racial and ethnic differences in these exposures with Hispanic, Black, and Native American workers experiencing higher risks than White and Asian workers. Occupations with high exposures to these physical risk factors provide lower compensation and are less likely to provide employer-sponsored health insurance, making it more difficult for workers to address injuries or conditions that arise from their jobs. In sum, we argue that physical work exposures are likely an important pathway through which disparities in physical functioning arise.

Occupational Health Problems among Seasonal and Migrant Farmworkers in Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Migrant and seasonal farmworkers are at increased risk for occupational fatalities and injuries. Although such employment-related geographical mobility is receiving increasing attention, there is limited evidence about occupational health problems among seasonal farmworkers. Therefore, this study aims to investigate occupational health problems among seasonal and migrant farmworkers in Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study design was employed from October to December 2019 among seasonal and migrant farmworkers. The study was carried out in two sites of Amhara regional state, northwest Ethiopia. A cluster sampling technique was used to recruit 990 study participants. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS version 20 to identify factors associated with injuries. The significance level was obtained at 95% CI and p-value ≤0.05.

Results

In this study, the period prevalence of work-related injury among seasonal and migrant farmworkers was 32.5% (95% CI: 29.7, 35.9). Being unemployed before migration (AOR = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.26, 3.91), working for >8 h/day (AOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.16, 2.27), stress (AOR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.88) and thermal discomfort (AOR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.98) were the significant risk factors for work-related injury. In addition, nearly two-third (60.9%) of the study participants have shown three or more heat-related illness symptoms. Moreover, the prevalence of work-related stress among seasonal and migrant farmworkers was 67.6% (95% CI: 64.6, 70.7).

Conclusion

Occupational health problems among seasonal and migrant farmworkers in northwest Ethiopia remain a major public health problem. Hence, implementing tailored preventive measures like training on health and safety, and hazard control measures would be supremely important to minimize the risk.

Occupational health research beyond the work setting: inclusive inquiry with ethnic minority and immigrant workers

Ethnic minority and immigrant workers comprise a sizable proportion of the low-wage workforce. They are surprisingly understudied despite their workplace prominence. Factors such as workplace policies, structures, worker-related characteristics, and research designs preclude their comprehensive research participation when studies are conducted in work settings. Consequently, ethnic minority and immigrant workers continue to be under-represented in inquiry and simultaneously over-represented with compromising occupational health risks. The purpose of this paper is to provide strategies to promote the inclusion of ethnic minority and immigrant workers in occupational health research. Using three different research-based examples, we illustrate the benefit of conducting occupational health research in non-workplace settings as a way to ensure research representation of ethnic minority and immigrant workers.

Health and safety risk perceptions and needs of app-based drivers during COVID-19

Background

App‐based drivers face work disruptions and infection risk during a pandemic due to the nature of their work, interactions with the public, and lack of workplace protections. Limited occupational health research has focused on their experiences.

Methods

We surveyed 100 app‐based drivers in Seattle, WA to assess risk perceptions, supports, and controls received from the company that employs them, sources of trust, stress, job satisfaction, COVID‐19 infection status, and how the pandemic had changed their work hours. Data were summarized descriptively and with simple regression models. We complemented this with qualitative interviews to better understand controls and policies enacted during COVID‐19, and barriers and facilitators to their implementation.

Results

Drivers expressed very high levels of concern for exposure and infection (86%–97% were “very concerned” for all scenarios). Only 31% of drivers reported receiving an appropriate mask from the company for which they drive. Stress (assessed via PSS‐4) was significantly higher in drivers who reported having had COVID‐19, and also significantly higher in respondents with lower reported job satisfaction. Informants frequently identified supports such as unemployment benefits and peer outreach among the driver community as ways to ensure that drivers could access available benefits during COVID‐19.

Conclusions

App‐based drivers received few protections from the company that employed them, and had high fear of exposure and infection at work. There is increased need for health‐supportive policies and protections for app‐based drivers. The most effective occupational and public health regulations would cover employees who may not have a traditional employer–employee relationship.

Occupational Characteristics in the Outbreak of the COVID-19 Delta Variant in Nanjing, China: Rethinking the Occupational Health and Safety Vulnerability of Essential Workers

The risk of contracting COVID-19 varies by occupation. Clarifying the occupational disparity in the infection risk is crucial to the prevention and control of the epidemic in the workplace. In late July, some new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed among cleaners working in Lukou International Airport in Nanjing, China. The infected cases rapidly increased and spread to many domestic cities in the following days. The present study traces the brief reports of epidemiological investigations among the confirmed cases released by the Nanjing government from 20 July to 2 August, and offers a descriptive analysis on the occupational distribution of these cases. Cleaners and other staff working in the airport were found to make up more than 40% of all cases. The overwhelming majority of the cleaner cases were confirmed in the first 7 days. The present study statistically ascertains that the airport cleaners were the initial sufferers and transmitters in this outbreak. They experienced occupational health and safety vulnerability on both individual and contextual levels, including workplace hazards, workplace safety policies, and lack of awareness and empowerment. Effective protection for essential workers and the strict surveillance of occupational health in the workplace is urgently needed.

Adverse working conditions and immigrants' physical health and depression outcomes: a longitudinal study in Greece

PURPOSE

Τhe study examines whether adverse working conditions for immigrants in Greece bear an association with deteriorated physical health and increased levels of depression during 2018 and 2019.

METHODS

A panel dataset resulted from the collaboration with centers providing free Greek language courses to immigrant population groups. Random Effects models assess the determinants of physical health and depression.

RESULTS

Findings indicate that workers with no written contract of employment, receiving hourly wages lower than the national hourly minimum wages, and experiencing insults and/or threats in their present job experience worse physical health and increased levels of depression. Moreover, the study found that the inexistence of workplace contracts, underpayment, and verbal abuse in the workplace may coexist. An increased risk of underpayment and verbal abuse reveals itself when workers do not have a contract of employment and vice versa.

CONCLUSION

Immigrant workers without a job contract might experience a high degree of workplace precariousness and exclusion from health benefits and insurance. Immigrant workers receiving a wage lower than the corresponding minimum potentially do not secure a living income, resulting in unmet needs and low investments in health. Workplace abuse might correspond with vulnerability related to humiliating treatment. These conditions can negatively impact workers' physical health and foster depression. Policies should promote written employment contracts and ensure a mechanism for workers to register violations of fair practices.

Racial and ethnic differentials in COVID-19-related job exposures by occupational standing in the US

Researchers and journalists have argued that work-related factors may be partly responsible for disproportionate COVID-19 infection and death rates among vulnerable groups. We evaluate these issues by describing racial and ethnic differences in the likelihood of work-related exposure to COVID-19. We extend previous studies by considering 12 racial and ethnic groups and five types of potential occupational exposure to the virus: exposure to infection, physical proximity to others, face-to-face discussions, interactions with external customers and the public, and working indoors. Most importantly, we stratify our results by occupational standing, defined as the proportion of workers within each occupation with at least some college education. This measure serves as a proxy for whether workplaces and workers employ COVID-19-related risk reduction strategies. We use the 2018 American Community Survey to identify recent workers by occupation, and link 409 occupations to information on work context from the Occupational Information Network to identify potential COVID-related risk factors. We then examine the racial/ethnic distribution of all frontline workers and frontline workers at highest potential risk of COVID-19, by occupational standing and by sex. The results indicate that, contrary to expectation, White frontline workers are often overrepresented in high-risk jobs while Black and Latino frontline workers are generally underrepresented in these jobs. However, disaggregation of the results by occupational standing shows that, in contrast to Whites and several Asian groups, Latino and Black frontline workers are overrepresented in lower standing occupations overall and in lower standing occupations associated with high risk, and thus may be less likely to have adequate COVID-19 protections. Our findings suggest that greater work exposures likely contribute to a higher prevalence of COVID-19 among Latino and Black adults and underscore the need for measures to reduce potential exposure for workers in low standing occupations and for the development of programs outside the workplace.

Workplace improvements to support safe and sustained return to work: Suggestions from a survey of workers with permanent impairments

BACKGROUND

Roughly 10% of occupational injuries result in permanent impairment. After initial return to work (RTW), many workers with permanent impairments face RTW interruption due to reinjury, unstable health, disability, and layoff. This study used open-ended survey data to: (1) explore workplace factors identified by workers as important levers for change, some of which may previously have been unrecognized; and (2) summarize workers' suggestions for workplace improvements to promote sustained RTW and prevent reinjury.

METHODS

This study included data from workers' compensation claims and telephone surveys of 582 Washington State workers who had RTW after a work-related injury involving permanent impairment. The survey was conducted in 2019, about a year after claim closure. We used qualitative content analysis methods to inductively code open-ended survey responses.

RESULTS

The most frequent themes were: safety precautions/safer workplace (18.1%), adequate staffing/appropriate task distribution (16.2%), and safety climate (14.1%). Other frequent themes included ergonomics, rest breaks, job strain, predictability and flexibility in work scheduling practices, employer response to injury, social support, communication, and respect. Many workers reported that they were not listened to, or that their input was not sought or valued. Workers often linked communication deficiencies to preventable deficiencies in safety practices, safety climate, and RTW practices, and also to lack of respect or distrust. In counterpoint, nearly one-third of respondents reported that no change was needed to their workplace.

CONCLUSIONS

Policies and interventions targeting worker-suggested workplace improvements may promote safe and sustained RTW, which is essential for worker health and economic stability.

Self-esteem, job insecurity, and psychological distress among Chinese nurses

BACKGROUND

Many studies investigate the variables relating to psychological distress among nurses, but little is known about the underlying mechanism(s) among job insecurity, self-esteem, and psychological distress.

AIMS

This cross-sectional study examines the prevalence of psychological distress among nurses and the relationships among job insecurity, self-esteem, and psychological distress; it also explores how self-esteem might mediate between job insecurity and psychological distress.

METHODS

Questionnaires that assess job insecurity, self-esteem, and psychological distress were collected from 462 nurses in a tertiary hospital in Shandong Province, China.

RESULTS

Our results show an 83.3 % prevalence rate for psychological distress among nurses. Regression analysis results show that job insecurity positively correlates with psychological distress, explaining 17.5 % of the variance in psychological distress. Mediation analysis results show that self-esteem partially mediates the effect of the two dimensions of job insecurity on psychological distress.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychological distress is prevalent among Chinese nurses. Nursing administrators should take effective measures to improve self-esteem and reduce the negative impacts of job insecurity on nurses, including psychological distress.

Workplace Sexual Harassment and Vulnerabilities among Low-Wage Hispanic Women

Workplace sexual harassment is particularly widespread in industries with many low-wage jobs where Hispanic women are likely to work. This qualitative study examines the experiences of Hispanic women in low-income jobs to identify workplace sexual harassment situations, support seeking actions, barriers to report, and forms of retaliation. A qualitative research design with one-on-one structured interviews provided an in-depth understanding of the experiences of Hispanic women in low-wage jobs regarding workplace sexual harassment situations and potential contributing factors. Second, a conceptual framework is proposed to integrate the reported organizational factors and social vulnerabilities that interact, eroding the individual's ability to cope effectively with workplace sexual harassment. These include organizational resources for preventing and reporting, community and family resources for support, and health effects attributed to sexual harassment. Workplace sexual harassment was described by participants as escalating over time from dating invitations, sex-related comments, unwanted physical contact to explicit sexual propositions. Temporary workers reported being very often subject to explicit quid pro quo propositions. While these patterns might not differ from those reported by other groups, work organization factors overlap with individual and social characteristics of Hispanic women in low-income jobs revealing a complicated picture that requires a systems approach to achieve meaningful change for this vulnerable population.

Workplace Organizational and Psychosocial Factors Associated with Return-to-Work Interruption and Reinjury Among Workers with Permanent Impairment

OBJECTIVES

Roughly 10% of occupational injuries result in permanent impairment and a permanent partial disability (PPD) award. After initial return to work (RTW) following a work injury, many workers with permanent impairment face RTW interruption (breaks in ongoing employment due to reinjury, poor health, disability, lay-off, etc.). Most RTW and reinjury research has focused on worker-level risk factors, and less is known about contextual factors that may be amenable to workplace or workers' compensation (WC)-based interventions. The aim of this study was to identify modifiable organizational and psychosocial workplace factors associated with (i) RTW interruption and (ii) reinjury among workers with a permanent impairment.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included WC claims data and survey data for 567 injured workers who RTW at least briefly after a work-related injury that resulted in permanent impairment. Workers were interviewed once by phone, 11-15 months after WC claim closure with a PPD award. Logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between each workplace factor of interest and each outcome, controlling for whole body impairment percentage, gender, age, nativity, educational level, State Fund versus self-insured WC coverage, employer size, union membership, industry sector, and employment duration of current/most recent job.

RESULTS

Twelve percent of workers had been reinjured in their current or most recent job, 12% of workers were no longer working at the time of interview, and <1% of workers reported both outcomes. The most frequently reported reason for RTW interruption was impairment, disability, and/or pain from the previous work injury. Lower reported levels of safety climate, supervisor support, and ability to take time off work for personal/family matters were significantly associated with both RTW interruption and reinjury. Inadequate employer/health care provider communication, perceived stigmatization from supervisors and/or coworkers, and lower levels of coworker support were significantly associated with RTW interruption but not with reinjury. Discomfort with reporting an unsafe situation at work, absence of a health and safety committee, and higher job strain were significantly associated with reinjury, but not with RTW interruption. Inadequate safety training and lack of needed job accommodations were not significantly associated with either outcome. There were no notable or statistically significant interactions between workplace factors and degree of impairment, and no consistent direction of association.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence that several potentially modifiable organizational and psychosocial factors are associated with safe and sustained RTW among injured workers with work-related permanent impairment. The lack of interaction between any of these workplace factors and degree of impairment suggests that these findings may be generalizable to all workers, and further suggests that workplace interventions based on these findings might be useful for both primary and secondary prevention. Though primary prevention is key, secondary prevention efforts to sustain RTW and prevent reinjury may reduce the considerable health, economic, and social burden of occupational injury and illness.

Assessing the Psychosocial Work Environment in Relation to Mental Health: A Comprehensive Approach

OBJECTIVES

Prevailing job stress models encourage a multidimensional view of the psychosocial work environment and highlight the role that multiple co-occurring stressors play in the aetiology of mental health problems. In this study, we develop a latent typology of psychosocial work environment profiles to describe how a comprehensive array of job stressors are clustered in the Canadian labour market. We also examine the association between these latent psychosocial work environment profiles and several indicators of mental health.

METHODS

Data were collected from 6408 workers who completed the Canadian National Psychosocial Work Environment Survey. Psychosocial work exposures were measured using standard items from the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. We employed latent profile analyses to identify groups of individuals with similar psychosocial work environment profiles. We used log-linear regression models to examine the association between latent psychosocial work environment profiles and burnout, stress, and cognitive strain.

RESULTS

Four distinct groups with highly divergent psychosocial work environment profiles were identified. Adjusting for a range of demographic and socioeconomic factors, latent psychosocial work environment profiles were strongly related to mental health. Individuals who reported exposure to a comprehensive array of psychosocial job stressors (11% prevalence) reported the highest probability of burnout (PR: 7.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.56-10.15), stress (PR: 8.98, 95% CI: 6.20-13.0), and cognitive strain (PR: 7.29, 95% CI: 5.02-10.60).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that psychosocial work stressors are tightly clustered in the Canadian labour market, and that the clustering of work stressors is strongly associated with adverse mental health outcomes. Future scholarship may benefit from adopting a more comprehensive approach to the assessment of psychosocial job quality as a determinant of health and well-being.

Health status among NEET adolescents and young adults in the United States, 2016-2018

Adolescents and young adults not employed or in education/training (NEET) could be at higher risk of adverse health outcomes. Approximately 4.6 million Americans aged between 16 and 24 fall in this group. However, differences in health between NEET and non-NEET population remain unaddressed. This study examines the association of NEET status and poor/fair self-reported health status (SRH), among adolescents and young adults in the United States. Data for this study come from the 2016–2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Our analytical sample consisted of 53,690 respondents. We used logistic regression models to investigate the association between NEET and health status in the United States, while controlling for potential covariates. Approximately 14% of our analytical sample was classified as NEET. NEET report poor/fair health status at higher rates than their counterparts who remained in school and/or had a job (11.30% vs. 5.62%). The NEET population was older, had a higher proportion of non-Hispanic Blacks, engaged in more smoking but in less alcohol drinking than non-NEET. In our initial model, NEET were more likely report poor/fair SRH than their non-NEET counterparts (OR = 2.14; p < 0.001). This difference remains strong when demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are accounted for in our empirical models (OR = 1.93, p < 0.001). In our fully specified model, which accounts for health behaviors, NEET continue to have higher odds of reporting poor/fair SRH (OR = 1.77, p < 0.001). Our analyses suggest that NEET populations report worse health than non-NEETs. The health of this population may improve if interventions to reinsert them into either education or employment are effectively deployed.

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Approximately 14% of the population aged 16 to 25 are not employed or participating in education/training activities (NEET).

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The NEET population report worse health status than their non-NEET peers.

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NEETs report worse health even when accounting for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and metropolitan residence.

Racial and ethnic differentials in COVID-19-related job exposures by occupational standing in the US

Researchers and journalists have argued that work-related factors may be partly responsible for disproportionate COVID-19 infection and death rates among vulnerable groups. We evaluate these claims by examining racial and ethnic differences in the likelihood of work-related exposure to COVID-19. We extend previous studies by considering 12 racial and ethnic groups and five types of potential occupational exposure to the virus: exposure to infection, physical proximity to others, face-to-face discussions, interactions with external customers and the public, and working indoors. Most importantly, we stratify our results by occupational standing, defined as the proportion of workers within each occupation with at least some college education. This measure serves as a proxy for whether workplaces and workers employ significant COVID-19-related risk reduction strategies. We use the 2018 American Community Survey to identify recent workers by occupation, and link 409 occupations to information on work context from the Occupational Information Network to identify potential COVID-related risk factors. We then examine the racial/ethnic distribution of all frontline workers and frontline workers at highest potential risk of COVID-19, by occupational standing and by sex. The results indicate that, contrary to expectation, White frontline workers are often overrepresented in high-risk jobs while Black and Latino frontline workers are generally underrepresented in these jobs. However, disaggregation of the results by occupational standing shows that, in contrast to Whites and several Asian groups, Latino and Black frontline workers are overrepresented in lower status occupations overall and in lower status occupations associated with high risk, and are thus less likely to have adequate COVID-19 protections. Our findings suggest that greater work exposures likely contribute to a higher prevalence of COVID-19 among Latino and Black adults and underscore the need for measures to reduce potential exposure for workers in low status occupations and for the development of programs outside the workplace.

COVID-19 and mental health of food retail, food service, and hospitality workers

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a detrimental toll on the lives of individuals globally. In addition to the direct effect (e.g., being infected with the virus), this pandemic has negatively ravaged many industries, particularly food retail, food services, and hospitality. Given the novelty of the disease, the true impact of COVID-19 remains to be determined. Because of the nature of their work, and the characteristics of the workers, individuals in the food retail, food service, and hospitality industries are a group whose vulnerability is at its most fragile state during this pandemic. Through this qualitative study, we explored workers' perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health and coping, including screening for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder symptoms. Twenty-seven individual interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Four key themes emerged: being infected and infecting others, the unknown, isolation, and work and customer demands. Considering the many uncertainties of COVID-19, workers in these three industries were experiencing heightened levels of mental distress because of where they worked and the already existing disparities they faced on a daily basis before the pandemic started. Yet they remained hopeful for a better future. More studies are needed to fully understand the magnitude, short-term, and long-term effects of COVID-19. Based on this study's findings, programs are critically needed to promote positive coping behaviors among at-risk and distressed workers. Recommendations for employers, occupational health and safety professionals, and policy stakeholders to further support these service workers are discussed.

Impact of Coordination, Psychological Safety, and Job Security on Employees’ Performance: The Moderating Role of Coercive Pressure

Based on institutional theory, the current study examines the relationship of coordination, job security, psychological safety, and coercive pressure with employees’ performance. Further, coercive pressure is treated as a boundary condition between coordination, job security, and psychological safety with employees’ performance. A survey method was used to collect data from 235 faculty members of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Pakistan. Study results show that there is a positive and significant relationship between job security and coordination with employees’ performance. The results also reveal that coercive pressure moderates job security, coordination, and psychological safety with employees’ performance. Implications for organizations and HEIs administration are discussed.

Psychological Distress and Health-Related Quality of Life in Public Sector Personnel

Background: This study has assessed health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological distress between public sector professional groups. Methods: Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were administered to healthcare personnel, schoolteachers, and municipality and regional personnel in the region of Western Greece. Mean scores on all SF-36 dimensions and HADS were compared among these professional groups as well as with the Greek national norms to assess if there were significant differences between our study sample and the general population. Results: Healthcare personnel reported significantly lower SF-36 scores than teachers and municipality employees. Women reported poorer HRQoL than men on all SF-36 dimensions. This overall low score for health care workers masks the fact that male health care workers, primarily medical doctors, actually scored better than women, primarily nurses and auxiliary personnel. Average mean scores on all SF-36 dimensions reported by nurses and auxiliary personnel in healthcare were considerably lower than the ones from employees in all other occupational types. The impact on HRQoL observed mainly in vitality, social functioning and mental health was important. Many participants have shown psychological burden and depression. Conclusions: The health inequalities among healthcare employees are significant. This study is important to suggest taking measures for improving the HRQoL of health workers.

Changes in Job Security and Mental Health: An Analysis of 14 Annual Waves of an Australian Working-Population Panel Survey

We examined whether job security improvements were associated with improvements in mental health in a large, nationally representative panel study in Australia. We used both within-person fixed effects (FE) and random effects (RE) regression to analyze data from 14 annual waves covering the calendar period of 2002-2015 (19,169 persons; 106,942 observations). Mental Health Inventory-5 scores were modeled in relation to self-reported job security (categorical, quintiles), adjusting for age, year, education, and job change in the past year. Both FE and RE models showed stepwise improvements in Mental Health Inventory-5 scores with improving job security, with stronger exposure-outcome relationships in the RE models and for men compared with women. The RE coefficients for improvements in job security in men were 2.06 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.67, 2.46) for 1 quintile, steadily increasing for 2- (3.94 (95% CI: 3.54, 4.34)), 3- (5.82 (95% CI: 5.40, 6.24)), and 4-quintile (7.18 (95% CI: 6.71, 7.64)) improvements. The FE model for men produced slightly smaller coefficients, reaching a maximum of 5.55 (95% CI: 5.06, 6.05). This analysis, with improved causal inference over previous observational research, showed that improving job security is strongly associated with decreasing depression and anxiety symptoms. Policy and practice intervention to improve job security could benefit population mental health.

Risk and Resilience Factors During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Snapshot of the Experiences of Canadian Workers Early on in the Crisis

Research highlights several risk and resilience factors at multiple ecological levels that influence individuals’ mental health and wellbeing in their everyday lives and, more specifically, in disaster or outbreak situations. However, there is limited research on the role of these factors in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis. The present study examined if and how potential risk factors (i.e., reduction in income, job insecurity, feelings of vulnerability to contracting the virus, lack of confidence in avoiding COVID-19, compliance with preventative policies) and resilience factors (i.e., trait resilience, family functioning, social support, social participation, and trust in healthcare institutions) are associated with mental health and well-being outcomes, and whether these resilience factors buffer (i.e., moderate) the associations between risk factors and said outcomes. One to two weeks after the government recommended preventative measures, 1,122 Canadian workers completed an online questionnaire, including multiple wellbeing outcome scales in addition to measures of potential risk and resilience factors. Structural equation models were tested, highlighting that overall, the considered risk factors were associated with poorer wellbeing outcomes, except social distancing which was associated with lower levels of stress. Each of the potential resilience factors was found to have a main effect on one or more of the wellbeing outcomes. Moderation analysis indicated that in general these resilience factors did not, however, buffer the risk factors. The findings confirm that the COVID-19 crisis encompasses several stressors related to the virus as well as to its impact on one’s social, occupational, and financial situation, which put people at risk for lower wellbeing as early as one to two weeks after the crisis began. While several resilience factors emerged as positively related to wellbeing, such factors may not be enough, or sufficiently activated at that time, to buffer the effects of the numerous life changes required by COVID-19. From an ecological perspective, while mental health professionals and public health decision-makers should offer/design services directly focused on mental health and wellbeing, it is important they go beyond celebrating individuals’ inner potential for resilience, and also support individuals in activating their environmental resources during a pandemic.

Psychosocial job characteristics and mental health: Do associations differ by migrant status in an Australian working population sample?

Migrant workers may experience higher burdens of occupational injury and illness compared to native-born workers, which may be due to the differential exposure to occupational hazards, differential vulnerability to exposure-associated health impacts, or both. This study aims to assess if the relationships between psychosocial job characteristics and mental health vary by migrant status in Australia (differential vulnerability). A total of 8969 persons from wave 14 (2014–2015) of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey were included in the analysis. Psychosocial job characteristics included skill discretion, decision authority and job insecurity. Mental health was assessed via a Mental Health Inventory-5 score (MHI-5), with a higher score indicating better mental health. Migrant status was defined by (i) country of birth (COB), (ii) the combination of COB and English/Non-English dominant language of COB and (iii) the combination of COB and years since arrival in Australia. Data were analysed using linear regression, adjusting for gender, age and educational attainment. Migrant status was analysed as an effect modifier of the relationships between psychosocial job characteristics and mental health. Skill discretion and decision authority were positively associated with the MHI-5 score while job insecurity was negatively associated with the MHI-5 score. We found no statistical evidence of migrant status acting as an effect modifier of the psychosocial job characteristic―MHI-5 relationships. With respect to psychosocial job characteristic―mental health relationships, these results suggest that differential exposure to job stressors is a more important mechanism than differential vulnerability for generating occupational health inequities between migrants and native-born workers in Australia.

The health effects of gendered and devalued work: health outcomes of incarcerated women engaging in sex work and care/service work

BACKGROUND

Women with a history of incarceration are often engaged in highly gendered work, either sex work or low-wage care/service work jobs. While employment is an important element of reentry plans, low-wage jobs may not necessarily help women leave illicit activities, including commercial sex work. Incarcerated women often move between care/service work and sex work to supplement income, putting them at greater risk for negative health outcomes.

RESULTS

Using survey data from 400 women detained in a large urban jail, we examined how incarcerated women's experience with sex work and low-wage care/service work affects four health-related outcomes: overall health concerns, clinical depression, regular drug use, and self-esteem. Of the survey participants, 24% engaged exclusively in sex work and 34% in care/service work. However, 41% of women held both sex work and care/service work jobs, prior to incarceration. Compared to women engaged in care/service work, a greater proportion of women engaged in sex work reported overall health concerns, clinical depression, and regular drug use. On the other hand, women in care/service work jobs exclusively reported lower levels of self-esteem than women engaging in sex work.

CONCLUSIONS

Many reentry programs emphasize the importance of employment for former inmates, and yet, job options for women detained in jail are often limited to low-wage care/service jobs, which do not necessarily provide adequate security to lift women's economic burdens. Consequently, many women with a history of incarceration may supplement their income with sex work to meet their basic economic needs. However, both of these highly gendered and devalued jobs may negatively affect health and wellbeing of women.

Non-Standard Workers Have Poorer Physical and Mental Health Than Standard Workers

OBJECTIVES

To compare the health status of workers who had non-standard and standard employment in Korea.

METHODS

Data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2007 to 2017) were used to compare the health of workers with standard and non-standard employment.

RESULTS

Workers with non-standard employment (rather than standard employment) were more likely to be women, older, have less education, have lower monthly income, perform manual work, and work fewer hours per week. Men with non-standard employment were more likely to have physician-diagnosed cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and to report depressive and suicidal ideation. Women with non-standard employment were more likely to have physician-diagnosed cardiovascular disease and to report depressive feelings.

CONCLUSION

Workers with daily employment were most vulnerable to physical and mental health problems. Health problems differed among individuals who had different types of non-standard employment.

The impact of the great economic crisis on mental health care in Italy

The great economic crisis in 2008 has affected the welfare of the population in countries such as Italy. Although there is abundant literature on the impact of the crisis on physical health, very few studies have focused on the causal implications for mental health and health care. This paper, therefore, investigates the impact of the recent economic crisis on hospital admissions for severe mental disorder at small geographic levels in Italy and assesses whether there are heterogeneous effects across areas with distinct levels of income. We exploit 9-year (2007-2015) panel data on hospital discharges, which is merged with employment and income composition at the geographic units that share similar labour market structures. Linear and dynamic panel analysis are used to identify the causal effect of rising unemployment rate on severe mental illness admissions per 100,000 residents to account for time-invariant heterogeneity. We further create discrete income levels to identify the potential socioeconomic gradients behind this effect across areas with different economic characteristics. The results show a significant impact of higher unemployment rates on admissions for severe mental disorders after controlling for relevant economic factors, and the effects are concentrated on the most economically disadvantaged areas. The results contribute to the literature of spatio-temporal variation in the broader determinants of mental health and health care utilisation and shed light on the populations that are most susceptible to the effects of the economic crisis.

All-cause mortality and the time-varying effects of psychosocial work stressors: A retrospective cohort study using the HILDA survey

The effects of poor-quality work (high job demands, low job control, job insecurity, and effort-reward imbalance) are harmful to health but it isn't clear whether exposure to these psychosocial work stressors over time translates into increased risk of mortality.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the effect of time-varying psychosocial work stressors on mortality using data from a longitudinal cohort of working Australians by examining association between job control, job demands, job insecurity, unfair pay overtime and all-cause mortality. We examined whether gender modified these relationships.

METHODS

Over 20,000 participants from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey with self-reported repeated exposure measures were followed for 15 years. Survival analysis models with baseline hazard specified by the Weibull distribution were used to examine the association between psychosocial work stressors over time and mortality.

RESULTS

Low job control (HR=1.39; 95% CI: 1.06-1.83) and job insecurity (1.36; 1.06-1.74) were associated with increased risk of mortality. High job demands (1.01; 0.75-1.34) and effort-reward unfairness (1.20; 0.90-1.59) were not associated with mortality. The effect of job insecurity was attenuated (1.20; 0.93-1.54) after controlling for sociodemographic and health risk factors. Male participants exposed to low job control and job insecurity had an 81% and 39% increase risk of mortality, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term exposure to low job control and low job security is associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality. Effects were largely restricted to males and persisted after adjustments for sociodemographic and health characteristics. The lack of effects observed for females may have been due to the small number of deaths in females. Awareness of implications of the adverse effects of psychosocial work stressors on health and mortality in workplaces, and interventions to improve job control and job security could contribute to better health and wellbeing, reducing the effect of psychosocial work stressors on mortality.

Prescription opioid use and associated factors among US construction workers

BACKGROUND

Construction workers are among the segments of the US population that were hit hardest by the opioid prescription and overdose deaths in the past decades. Factors that underlie opioid use in construction workers have been compartmentalized and isolated in existing studies of opioid use and opioid overdose, but they ignore the overall context of their use. This study examines prescription opioid use and its association with a variety of occupational and nonoccupational factors in construction workers in the United States.

METHODS

Data from the 2011-2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (n = 7994) were analyzed. The prevalence of prescribed opioid use and the association with occupational and nonoccupational characteristics among construction workers were examined in four multiple logistic regression models.

RESULTS

The odds of prescription opioid use for workers with occupational injuries was more than triple that of their noninjured counterparts when demographics and occupational factors were controlled (odds ratio = 3.38, 95% confidence interval: 2.38-4.81). Odds of prescription opioid use were higher in older construction workers, workers who were white, non-Hispanic, working part-time, and in poorer health, while Hispanic workers and those without health insurance were much less likely to report prescription opioid use.

CONCLUSIONS

Prescription opioid use among construction workers encompasses both occupational and nonoccupational factors. As an insight into opioid use among construction workers becomes clearer, effectively responding to the opioid crisis remains a challenge.

Beyond Occupational Hazards: Abuse of Day Laborers and Health

With the increase in labor market flexibility and worksite immigration enforcement, day labor is a common type of informal employment arrangement among immigrants. Our study contextualized day laborers' physical and mental health within work- and community-level factors. We use a nationally representative sample of 2015 day laborers from the National Day Labor Survey. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated the association of occupational and socioenvironmental abuses with self-rated health (SRH), a positive PHQ-2 screening, morbidities, and workplace injuries. Employer abuse was associated with fair/poor SRH, workplace injuries, morbidity, and PHQ-2; business owner abuse was associated with PHQ-2 and workplace injuries; and crime and having a dangerous job are both associated with workplace injuries. Health disadvantages stem from unsafe occupational conditions and an overlapping array of adverse social experiences. These findings highlight the need to develop and evaluate policies that protect all workers regardless of socioeconomic position and immigration status.

Job Insecurity, Family Functionality and Mental Health: A Comparative Study between Male and Female Hospitality Workers

The aim of the present article is to compare the family functionality, mental health and job insecurity of employees of the hospitality industry in Puerto Vallarta and Bahía de Banderas, in México. This is a quantitative and cross-sectional study. The sample was selected by non-probabilistic sampling for convenience and comprised a total of 914 people, of whom 438 were women (47.92%) and 476 were men (52.08%). The women surveyed reported more somatic symptoms, anxiety, insomnia and social dysfunction compared to men, which allows the conclusion that their mental health is vulnerable; meanwhile, men showed better perception of family functionality, a positive factor that reveals the family as a potential support factor that reduces stress, anxiety and improves men’s mental health. Another result reveals that the gender structure permeates the hotel sector, inequalities in the type of contract and income are corroborated, and the existence of a sexual division of labor to the detriment of women is confirmed, as they are mostly employed in low-skilled jobs that reproduce domestic tasks, particularly those related to cleaning and food service tasks.

Differential Exposure to Job Stressors: A Comparative Analysis Between Migrant and Australia-Born Workers

AIMS

Previous studies have suggested that migrants have higher exposures to psychosocial job stressors than native-born workers. We explored migrant status-related differences in skill discretion/job complexity and decision authority, and whether the differences varied by gender, age, and educational attainment.

METHODS

Data were from Wave 14 of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. A total number of 9031 persons were included in the analysis. Outcomes included skill discretion/job complexity and decision authority. Exposure included migrant status defined by (i) country of birth (COB), (ii) the combination of COB and English/Non-English dominant language of COB, and (iii) the combination of COB and years since arrival in Australia. Data were analysed using linear regression, adjusting for gender, age, and educational attainment. These covariates were also analysed as effect modifiers of the relationship between migrant status and job stressor exposure.

RESULTS

In the unadjusted analysis, only migrant workers from Non-English-speaking countries (Non-ESC-born) had significantly lower skill discretion and job complexity than Australia-born workers (-0.29, 95% CI: -0.56; -0.01); however, results from fully adjusted models showed that all migrant groups, except migrant workers from Main-English-speaking countries, had significantly lower skill discretion and job complexity than Australia-born workers (overseas-born workers, -0.59, 95% CI: -0.79; -0.38; Non-ESC-born, -1.01, 95% CI: -1.27; -0.75; migrant workers who had arrived ≤5 years ago, -1.33, 95% CI: -1.94; -0.72; arrived 6-10 years ago, -0.92, 95% CI: -1.46; -0.39; and arrived ≥11 years ago, -0.45, 95% CI: -0.67; -0.22). On the contrary, the unadjusted model showed that migrant workers had higher decision authority than Australia-born workers, whereas in the fully adjusted model, no difference in decision authority was found between migrant workers and Australia-born workers. Effect modification results showed that as educational attainment increased, differences in skill discretion and job complexity between Australia-born workers and Non-ESC-born migrants progressively increased; whereas Non-ESC-born migrants with postgraduate degree showed significantly lower decision authority than Australia-born workers.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that skill discretion and job complexity but not decision authority is associated with migrant status. Migrants with high educational attainment from Non-English-speaking countries appear to be most affected by lower skill discretion/job complexity and decision authority; however, differences in skill discretion and job complexity attenuate over time for Non-ESC-born migrants, consistent with an acculturation effect. Low skill discretion and job complexity, to the extent that it overlaps with underemployment, may adversely affect migrant workers' well-being. Targeted language skill support could facilitate migrant integration into the Australian labour market.

Cancer-work management during active treatment: towards a conceptual framework

PURPOSE

Forward progress in cancer treatment has resulted in fewer adverse consequences of cancer during and after treatment, offering employed cancer patients the possibility of continuing to work during treatment, returning to work after treatment, or implementing a combination of strategies to manage the cancer-work interface. Yet, much of the research on cancer and employment examines return to work as the primary outcome, neglecting to consider the circumstances of survivors who maintain employment while engaged in active treatment. We introduce the Cancer-Work Management Framework (CWMF), a conceptual framework for understanding the cancer and job demands survivors who continue to work during active treatment experience and how cancer and job resources and strategies could promote cancer-work fit and ultimately optimize employment and health outcomes.

METHODS

We provide an overview of the research describing the cancer-work management experiences of survivors who maintain employment during active treatment and summarize the theories that informed the CWMF including ecological systems, boundary-spanning, and job demands and resources theories.

RESULTS

The paper presents a description of the components of the CWMF which include cancer demands, cancer care resources and strategies, work demands, and workplace resources. We also describe a process-cancer-work fit-that reflects the interplay between demands and resources influence employment and health outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Future research directions for developing knowledge about the cancer-work management process are proposed with suggestions for study of how cancer and job demands influence cancer treatment and employment decisions.

The Effect of Organizational Changes on the Psychosocial Work Environment: Changes in Psychological and Social Working Conditions Following Organizational Changes

Purpose: The present study aimed to clarify the prospective effects of various types and frequencies of organizational changes on aspects in the psychosocial work environment. Methods: The study had a prospective, full-panel, repeated measures design. Data were collected by self-administered, online questionnaires, with a 2-year interval between measurement occasions. Five types of organizational change were assessed - company restructuring, downsizing, layoffs, partial closure, and partial outsourcing. The effects of change on eleven, specific work factors were measured utilizing QPS Nordic. At baseline, 12652 employees participated, while 8965 responded at follow-up. Generalized estimating equations were utilized to estimate the effects of change taking place within the last 12 months or more than 24 months prior. Results: Cross-sectional analyses, i.e., changes occurring within the last 12 months, showed all 11 work factors to be statistically significantly associated with the organizational changes restructuring, downsizing, and partial closure (coefficients ranging -0.28 to 0.04). In the prospective analyses, i.e., the effects of change taking place more than 24 months prior, associations were no longer significant for a number of work factors, although all types of organizational change remained significantly associated with at least three work factors (coefficients ranging -0.14 to 0.05). Following repeated organizational changes, statistically significant associations were shown for all 11 work factors (coefficients ranging from 0.39 to -0.04). Conclusion: Following both separate and repeated organizational change, various psychological and social work factors were altered, with the most pronounced effects following repeated change. These results suggest the implementing organizational change, especially repeated change, may have an adverse effect on various parts of the psychosocial work environment. The negative effects of a company's psychosocial working conditions may contribute to the adverse health effects often observed following such changes and help explain why many change initiatives fail to reach its intended results.

Hired Latinx child farm labor in North Carolina: The demand-support-control model applied to a vulnerable worker population

BACKGROUND

US government child labor policies allow children as young as age 10 to be hired as workers on farms not operated by family members. Children may face substantial health risks in an industry known for high worker morbidity and mortality rates, due to high demands for productivity, and low control and little support because of the organization of the workplace. This paper examines how child farmworkers in North Carolina experience their work situation.

METHODS

In-depth interviews conducted in 2016 with 30 Latinx child farmworkers, ages 10 to 17, were analyzed using concepts from the demand-control-support model. All had worked as either migrant or seasonal hired farmworkers within the past year.

RESULTS

Children reported planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops including fruits, vegetables, and tobacco. The crew leader supervisory system, piece-rate pay, and coworker pressure produced significant demands to work quickly and take risks including lifting heavy loads, operating mechanical equipment, and working in excessive heat. Children had little control over work to counter demands they experienced; and they labored in a state of fear of firing, wage theft, and other sanctions. Support was variable, with younger children more likely to experience family and coworker support than older children.

CONCLUSIONS

The high demands with limited control and, for some, little support, that these children experience place them at risk and show the possibility of injury and exploitation. Future research should systematically document the occupational injury and illness of hired child farmworkers, and consider whether changes in labor policy are warranted.

The Workplace, Social Work, and Social Justice: Framing an Emerging Research and Practice Agenda

Protecting the health and well-being of workers naturally aligns with the social work mission to advance human dignity. The workplace can both create and perpetuate health disparities by shaping health and well-being at multiple levels and in socially patterned ways. Yet workplace issues are rarely on social work research and practice agendas. This article serves as a call to action for social work, as a discipline, to engage with the workplace as a means of advancing the field's core values. It first provides evidence for why engagement with workplaces is critical for advancing social justice. It then presents evidence for the ways in which workplace exposures and experiences, at multiple levels, shape worker health and well-being. Finally, it provides concrete steps for how the skills and values of the social work profession can be applied to the workplace through research, practice, education, and policy efforts, and by extension improve population health and well-being.

Job Insecurity: A Comparative Analysis between Migrant and Native Workers in Australia

Job insecurity is a modifiable risk factor for poor health outcomes, and exposure to job insecurity varies by population groups. This study assessed if job insecurity exposure varied by migrant status and if the differences varied by gender, age, educational attainment, and occupational skill level. Data were from wave 14 of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. The outcome was job insecurity. Exposure was migrant status defined by (1) the country of birth (COB), (2) the dominant language of the COB, and (3) the number of years since arrival in Australia. Data were analysed using linear regression, adjusting for gender, age, educational attainment, and occupational skill level. These covariates were also analysed as effect modifiers for the migrant status–job insecurity relationships. Migrant workers, especially those from non-English speaking countries (non-ESC-born), experienced higher job insecurity than Australia-born workers; however, these disparities disappeared after 11+ years post-arrival. The migrant status–job insecurity relationships were modified by educational attainment. Unexpectedly, the disparities in job insecurity between non-ESC-born migrants and Australia-born workers increased with increasing educational attainment, and for those most highly educated, the disparities persisted beyond 11 years post-arrival. Our findings suggested that continuing language skill support and discrimination prevention could facilitate migrant integration into the Australian labour market.

Physical Exposures, Work Tasks, and OSHA-10 Training Among Temporary and Payroll Construction Workers

OBJECTIVE

We characterize and compare the self-reported physical exposures, work tasks, and OSHA-10 training in a non-probabilistic sample of temporary and payroll construction workers.

METHODS

In June 2016, a total of 250 payroll and temporary general laborers employed at Florida construction sites completed a survey at the job site as part of the falls reported among minority employees (FRAME) study.

RESULTS

Workers employed through temp agencies (57.1%) were significantly more likely to report moving or lifting materials more than 100 pounds than payroll workers (38.5%; P < 0.01). Temporary construction workers with 10-hour OSHA training (22.2%) spent significantly less time with intense hand use/awkward hand posture than temporary workers without 10-hour OSHA training (46.9%; P = 0.048).

CONCLUSIONS

Temp construction workers with OSHA 10-hour training reported less hazardous physical postures than workers without the same training.

Measurement of Socioeconomic Position in Research on Cardiovascular Health Disparities in Korea: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

The validity of instruments measuring socioeconomic position (SEP) has been a major area of concern in research on cardiovascular health disparities. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify the current status of the methods used to measure SEP in research on cardiovascular health disparities in Korea and to provide directions for future research.

METHODS

Relevant articles were obtained through electronic database searches with manual searches of reference lists and no restriction on the date of publication. SEP indicators were categorized into compositional, contextual, composite, and life-course measures.

RESULTS

Forty-eight studies published from 2003 to 2018 satisfied the review criteria. Studies utilizing compositional measures mainly relied on a limited number of SEP parameters. In addition, these measures hardly addressed the time-varying and subjective features of SEP. Finding valid contextual measures at the organizational, community, and societal levels that are appropriate to Korea's context remains a challenge, and these are rarely modeled simultaneously. Studies have rarely focused on composite and life-course measures.

CONCLUSIONS

Future studies should develop and utilize valid compositional and contextual measures and appraise social patterns that vary across time, place, and culture using such measures. Studies should also consider multilevel influences, adding a focus on the interactions between different levels of intertwined SEP factors to advance the design of research. More attention should be given to composite and life-course measures.

Relationship of Occupational Category With Risk of Physical and Mental Health Problems

Objectives

We evaluated the physical and mental health problems of waged workers in Korea who had different classes of occupation.

Methods

We used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007–2017) to examine 22,788 workers who were waged employees and categorized these workers into 5 occupational classes.

Results

“Unskilled manual workers” were more likely to be older, less educated, have lower monthly income, and work fewer hours per week. Among men and relative to “managers and professionals” (reference group), “skilled manual workers” were more likely to have physician-diagnosed osteoarthritis, “clerks” were less likely to report suicidal ideation, and “unskilled manual workers” were more likely to report suicidal ideation. Among women and relative to “managers and professionals” (reference group), “service and sales workers” and “unskilled manual workers” were more likely to report physician-diagnosed osteoarthritis, depressive feelings, and suicidal ideation. However, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases did not differ among the occupational classes for men and women.

Conclusion

We identified differences between men and women and among those in different occupational classes regarding employment status, physical health, and mental health. “Unskilled manual workers” of both genders were more likely to be older, less educated, have less monthly income, work fewer hours per week, and have suicidal ideation. Female “service and sales workers” were more likely to have osteoarthritis, depressive feelings, and suicidal ideation.

Nonstandard workers and differential occupational safety and health vulnerabilities

BACKGROUND

Permanent jobs are in decline world-wide, and are being replaced with temporary, casual, part-time, and contract jobs. We investigated the characteristics and occupational safety and health (OSH) vulnerabilities of workers with nonstandard and standard employment.

METHODS

We used the Korean Working Conditions Survey of 2017 to compare working conditions and OSH vulnerabilities of workers with standard and nonstandard employment in five major job categories.

RESULTS

Workers with nonstandard employment were older, less educated, had lower monthly incomes, were employed in smaller businesses, worked fewer hours per week, had shorter work durations, and were more likely to report exposure to physical/chemical and ergonomic hazards, and musculoskeletal and mental symptoms. Among nonstandard workers, the rates of occupational hazards and work-related health problems depended on the type of work performed. In particular, nonstandard male workers who were unskilled manual workers, older, had less education, and earned low wages had a greater risk of working in unstable occupations, greater exposures to occupational hazards, and more musculoskeletal pain (back pain: odds ratio [OR], 2.4; upper extremity pain: OR, 2.1; and lower extremity pain: OR, 1.7) than those performing other types of work.

CONCLUSION

Male unskilled manual workers with nonstandard employment were most vulnerable to OSH problems. Our findings suggest the need for OSH programs that specifically target nonstandard workers especially those in manual unskilled occupations.

Is the association between precarious employment and mental health mediated by economic difficulties in males? Results from two Italian studies

BACKGROUND

Flexible employment is increasing across Europe and recent studies show an association with poor mental health. The goal of the current study is to examine this association in the Italian population to assess the possible mediating role of financial strain.

METHODS

Data were obtained by two Italian cross-sectional studies (PASSI and HIS) aimed at monitoring the general population health status, health behaviours and determinants. Mental health status was assessed using alternatively two validated questionnaires (the PHQ-2 and the MCS-12 score) and Poisson regression models were performed to assess if precarious work was associated with poor mental health. A formal mediation analysis was conducted to evaluate if the association between precarious work and mental health was mediated by financial strain.

RESULTS

The analyses were performed on 31,948 subjects in PASSI and on 21,894 subjects in HIS. A nearly two-fold risk of depression and poor mental health was found among precarious workers, compared to workers with a permanent contract, which was strongly mediated by financial strain.

CONCLUSIONS

Even with the limitations of a cross-sectional design, this research supports that precarious employment contributes through financial strain to reduce the mental health related quality of life and to increase mental disorders such as symptoms of depression or dysthymia. This suggests that when stability in work cannot be guaranteed, it would be appropriate to intervene on the wages of precarious jobs and to provide social safety nets for ensuring adequate income.

Discourse on culture in research on immigrant and migrant workers' health

BACKGROUND

Health and safety researchers and practitioners have proposed that cultural differences help explain inequalities between foreign and native-born workers. While cultural explanations for inequalities have long been debated in other fields, there exists little critique of cultural discourses in occupational health.

METHODS

This article examines and discusses the discourse on culture in 107 articles on immigrant or migrant workers' health published between 2011 and 2015. For each article, passages on culture were identified and analysed for both the context and the manner in which culture was discussed.

RESULTS

The discourse on culture was found to be generally simplistic, individualistic, and uncritical, intentionally or unintentionally supporting the worldview that workers' "otherness" is both cause of inequalities and target for interventions.

CONCLUSION

The article argues that empirical, theoretical and interdisciplinary work is needed to document the mechanisms and pathways that underlie health and safety inequalities by foreign-born status.