The social gradient in work and health: a cross-sectional study exploring the relationship between working conditions and health inequalities
dc.contributor.author
Hämmig, Oliver
dc.contributor.author
Bauer, Georg F.
dc.date.accessioned
2019-04-12T15:25:19Z
dc.date.available
2017-06-11T01:08:30Z
dc.date.available
2019-04-12T15:25:19Z
dc.date.issued
2013-12-13
dc.identifier.issn
1471-2458
dc.identifier.other
10.1186/1471-2458-13-1170
en_US
dc.identifier.uri
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/75904
dc.identifier.doi
10.3929/ethz-b-000075904
dc.description.abstract
Background
Social inequalities in health are widely examined. But the reasons behind this phenomenon still remain unclear in parts. It is undisputed that the work environment plays a crucial role in this regard. However, the contribution of psychosocial factors at work is unclear and inconsistent, and most studies are limited with regard to work factors and health outcomes. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the role and contribution of various physical and psychosocial working conditions to explaining social inequalities in different self-reported health outcomes.
Methods
Data from a postal survey among the workforces of four medium-sized and large companies from diverse industries of the secondary sector in Switzerland were used and analysed. The study sample covered 1,846 employees aged 20 and 64 and included significant proportions of unskilled manual workers and highly qualified non-manual workers. Cross tabulations and logistic regression analyses were performed to study multiple associations between social status, work factors and health outcomes. Combinations of educational level and occupational position wee used as a measure of social status or class.
Results
Clear social gradients were observed for almost all adverse working conditions and poor health outcomes studied, but in different directions. While physical workloads and other typical blue-collar job characteristics not suprisingly, were found to be much more common among the lower classes, most psychosocial work demands and job resources were more prevalent in the higher classes. Furthermore, workers in lower classes, i.e. with lower educational and occupational status, were more likely to report poor self-rated health, limited physical functioning and long sickness absence, but at the same time were less likely to experience increased stress feelings and burnout symptoms showing a reversed health gradient. Finally, blue-collar job characteristics contributed substantially to the social gradient found in general and physical health outcomes. In contrast, white-collar job characteristics made no contribution to explaining the gradient in these health outcomes, but instead largely explained the reversed social gradient observed for the mental health outcomes.
Conclusion
The findings suggest a more differentiated pattern of the commonly found social gradient in health and the differential role of work in this respect.
en_US
dc.format
application/pdf
en_US
dc.language.iso
en
en_US
dc.publisher
BioMed Central
en_US
dc.rights.uri
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
dc.subject
Health inequalities
en_US
dc.subject
Social gradient
en_US
dc.subject
Educational status
en_US
dc.subject
Occupational status
en_US
dc.subject
Physical working conditions
en_US
dc.subject
Psychosocial working conditions
en_US
dc.subject
Blue-collar job characteristics
en_US
dc.subject
White-collar job characteristics
en_US
dc.subject
Switzerland
en_US
dc.title
The social gradient in work and health: a cross-sectional study exploring the relationship between working conditions and health inequalities
en_US
dc.type
Journal Article
dc.rights.license
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
ethz.journal.title
BMC Public Health
ethz.journal.volume
13
en_US
ethz.journal.abbreviated
BMC public health
ethz.pages.start
1170
en_US
ethz.size
13 p.
en_US
ethz.version.deposit
publishedVersion
en_US
ethz.identifier.wos
ethz.publication.place
London
en_US
ethz.publication.status
published
en_US
ethz.leitzahl
03494 - Wehner, Theo
en_US
ethz.leitzahl.certified
03494 - Wehner, Theo
ethz.date.deposited
2017-06-11T01:09:17Z
ethz.source
ECIT
ethz.identifier.importid
imp5936514b3f4b126104
ethz.ecitpid
pub:119734
ethz.eth
yes
en_US
ethz.availability
Open access
en_US
ethz.rosetta.installDate
2017-07-13T07:55:01Z
ethz.rosetta.lastUpdated
2024-02-02T07:39:17Z
ethz.rosetta.versionExported
true
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