Job Characteristics Associated with Self-Rated Fair or Poor Health Among U.S. Workers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Alterman, Toni ; Calvert, Geoffrey M. ; Li J ; Luckhaupt SE
• Description:
  INTRODUCTION: Approximately 60% of the U.S. adult population is employed. Many aspects of a person's job may influence health, but it is unclear which job characteristics are most strongly associated with health at a population level. The purpose of this study was to identify important associations between job characteristics and workers' self-rated health in a nationally representative survey of U.S. workers. METHODS: Data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey were used to calculate weighted prevalence rates for self-reported fair/poor health for five categories of job characteristics: occupation; pay/benefits (economic); work organization; chemical/environmental hazards; and psychosocial factors. Backward elimination methods were used to build a regression model for self-reported health with the significant job characteristics, adjusting for sociodemographic variables and health behaviors. Data were collected in 2010 and analyzed in 2012-2016. RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, workers were more likely to have fair/poor health if they were employed in business operations occupations (e.g., buyers, human resources workers, event planners, marketing specialists; adjusted prevalence ratio [APR]=1.85, 95% CI=1.19, 2.88); had no paid sick leave (APR=1.35, 95% CI=1.11, 1.63); worried about becoming unemployed (APR=1.43, 95% CI=1.22, 1.69); had difficulty combining work and family (APR=1.23, 95% CI=1.01, 1.49); or had been bullied/threatened on the job (APR=1.82, 95% CI=1.44, 2.29). CONCLUSIONS: Occupation, lack of paid sick leave, and multiple psychosocial factors were associated with fair/poor health among U.S. workers at the population level in 2010. Public health professionals and employers should consider these factors when developing interventions to improve worker health. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Behavior Demography Economics Environmental Exposure Environmental Pollution Hazardous Substances Occupational Health Safety Workplace
• Keywords:
  Chemical Hazards Demographic Characteristics Environmental Hazards Health Effects Occupations Psychosocial Factors Regression Analysis Sociological Factors Surveillance Work Environment Workers Work Organization

  More +
• ISSN:
  0749-3797
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies ; WTCHP - World Trade Center Health Program
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  216-224
• Volume:
  53
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049835
• Citation:
  Am J Prev Med 2017 Aug; 53(2):216-224
• Contact Point Address:
  Sara E. Luckhaupt, MD, MPH, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Ave, R-17, Cincinnati OH 45226
• Email:
  sluckhaupt@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Preventive Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3a2075c49081dba4bc3d2c31712e43a8b58eca8dbfb940399516fe657550516dfbee7c2e9fd4c9d56633c617679eed89572928acc24680eb7647562291bcce77
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/210453/cdc_210453_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 224.80 KB ]