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Job complexity and hazardous working conditions: How do they explain educational gradient in mortality?

ABSTRACT: Although education's protective effects on health have been well recognized, specific mechanisms through which higher education is associated with better health are still debated. Occupation, although strongly shaped by education, has rarely been examined as a mediating mechanism. Education attainment is patterned by race in the United States, and the same education does not lead to similar occupations for members of different racial/ethnic groups. Therefore, examining the link from education to jobs to mortality can illuminate potential mechanisms that create racial health disparities. Using a large U.S. national cohort of Black and White men and women, we examined if 2 occupational characteristics, substantive complexity of work and hazardous working conditions, mediate the effect of education on mortality. Data on occupation were collected between 2011 and 2013, and mortality follow-up data up to March 2018 were included in this analysis. The race- and gender-stratified analyses showed that among White men, the association between higher education and lower mortality was mediated by lower hazard on the job. Among Black men and White women, higher complexity of work explained the association between higher education and lower mortality. Among Black women, neither job characteristic mediated the association. These results suggest that occupational characteristics help explain health inequalities not only by education but also by race and gender. Investigating occupation explicitly in the causal chain of health disparities will help us better understand the mechanism of and potential solutions for health inequalities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

SUBMITTER: Fujishiro K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7103547 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ImportanceUnderstanding the association between job characteristics and mental health can inform policies and practices to promote employee well-being.ObjectiveTo investigate associations between job characteristics and mental health, work absenteeism, and mental health care use among US adults.Design, setting, and participantsThis cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey and included adults aged 18 years or older who reported employment during the past 12 months. Data were analyzed from May 2023 to January 2024.ExposuresJob flexibility was assessed as a summative variable to 3 questions: perceived ease of changing one's work schedule to do things important to oneself or their family, regularity of work schedule changes, and advance notice of work hours. Job security was measured as perceived likelihood of losing one's job.Main outcomes and measuresMental health outcomes included self-reported serious psychological distress and frequency of anxiety. Work absenteeism was assessed using the number of missed workdays due to illness. Mental health care use was examined for both current and past year use. Multivariable logistic and binomial regression analyses were used to examine associations of interest.ResultsThe analytic sample consisted of 18 144 adults (52.3% [95% CI, 51.5%-53.2%] male; mean age, 42.2 [95% CI, 41.9-42.6] years). Greater job flexibility was associated with decreased odds of serious psychological distress (odds ratio [OR], 0.74 [95% CI, 0.63-0.86]; P < .001) and lower odds of weekly anxiety (OR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.81-0.97]; P = .008) or daily anxiety (OR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.79-0.96]; P = .005). Greater job security was associated with decreased odds of serious psychological distress (OR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.65-0.87]; P < .001) and lower odds of anxiety weekly (OR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.71-0.88]; P < .001) or daily (OR, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.66-0.81]; P < .001). Greater job flexibility (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.84 [95% CI, 0.74-0.96]; P = .008) and job security (IRR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.65-0.87]; P < .001) were each associated with decreased number of days worked despite feeling ill over the past 3 months. Greater job security was associated with decreased absenteeism in the past year (IRR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.82-0.98]; P < .014).Conclusions and relevanceOrganizational policies that enhance job flexibility and security may facilitate a healthier work environment, mitigate work-related stress, and ultimately promote better mental health.

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Job complexity and hazardous working conditions: How do they explain educational gradient in mortality?

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