Impact of different work organizational models on gender differences in exposure to psychosocial and ergonomic hazards at work and in mental and physical health

Work type rather than working hours influences depression: a longitudinal study of middle-aged and older adults in China

BACKGROUND

Research on the impact of working hours and work types on depression among middle-aged and older adults is relatively scarce, especially in China.

METHOD

This study employs a longitudinal research design, utilizing data from the 2011-2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS). Depression was measured using the 10-item CESD-10 scale. The Latent Growth Curve Models (LGCM) were used to analyze the impact of working hours on depression, while the Multilevel Generalized Estimating Equation was applied to explore the relationship between work types (including work sector and employment type) and depression.

RESULTS

A total of 3045 Chinese individuals aged ≥45 were studied. Female workers had a higher average depression score (9.6) than males (7.1; P < 0.001). The LGCM model showed no significant impact of initial working hours or their changes on depression levels or rates of change. In terms of work type sector, non-agricultural workers reported lower depression levels (β = -0.92 [-1.14, -0.70]) than agricultural workers. According to work employment type, self-employed individuals had higher depression scores (β = 0.59 [0.38, 0.81]) than employed workers. No significant gender differences were found in the effects of working hours or work type on depression.

CONCLUSION

It is not yet certain whether working hours are significantly associated with depression in middle-aged and older adults in China. However, different work types impact depression. Therefore, the government should pay more attention to the mental health of women, agricultural and self-employed workers.

An intersectional analysis of the health status, work conditions, and nonwork conditions of the U.S. working-classed across class, sex, race, and nativity identities

BACKGROUND

Classism, sexism, racism, and nativism intersect to create inequitable conditions and health outcomes based on workers' social identities. This study describes the health status, work conditions, and nonwork conditions of the United States (U.S.) working-classed at the intersections of class, sex, racial, and nativity identities.

METHODS

Descriptive statistics (e.g., frequencies, percentages) were calculated from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey data for the total working classed sample (N = 11,884) and 16 intersectional groupings. General and psychosocial health status, work factors, and access to resources outside of work were examined.

RESULTS

Intersectional analysis revealed divisions in work and nonwork conditions despite the majority of each grouping reporting very good/excellent health. The majority of the female Latine born-outside-U.S. grouping (60%) reported not having paid sick leave. The majority of the male Latine born-outside-U.S. grouping reported having neither paid sick leave (62%) nor health insurance (55%). The majority of the female Latine (53%), male Latine (60%), and male Black (55%) born-outside-U.S. groupings reported workplaces as less safe. The majority of the female Latine born-outside-U.S. grouping (53%) was the only grouping to report being moderately/very worried about being able to afford housing costs.

CONCLUSION

The health status and precarity of work and nonwork conditions of the U.S. working classed may be shaped by intersecting systems of power across class, sex, racial, and nativity identities. Intersectional analysis increases our purview to see who is most affected, how, and where, which can inform future opportunities to mitigate worker health inequities.

Structural equation modeling of the influence of primary school teachers' demographics on their psychosocial work hazards

Most workers, especially teachers experience one form of psychosocial work hazards or the other. In the Nigerian context, there is a high prevalence of psychosocial work hazards and no study has been conducted to ascertain the influence of teachers' demographics on their psychosocial work hazards. This study explored the influence of primary school teachers' demographics on their psychosocial work hazards using the structural equation modeling approach. Drawing from the tenets of Job-Demand-Control-Support theory, a correlational survey research design was used, using a sample of 254 primary school teachers, and the study was based on a quantitative research approach. The study's data were gathered utilizing a 28-item questionnaire adapted from the 30-item Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire developed by Kristensen and coworkers in 2005. The internal consistency reliability index of the questionnaire items was 0.74. The data were analyzed using a combination of frequency, percentage, chi-square test of independent samples, hierarchical multiple regression analysis, and structural equation modeling. It was revealed that demographic characteristics of teachers correlated with their psychosocial work hazards. However, it was found that only the age and location of the teachers had significant (p < .05) relationships with their psychosocial work hazards. The age and location of the teachers are significant determinants of their psychosocial work hazards. This our findings call for more research on the subject matter as some recent studies have documented that other demographics of teachers had significant relationships with psychosocial work hazards. It was therefore recommended that teachers' demographics should be considered as important factors in the recruitment of teachers.