Gender and Sex Differences in Job Status and Hypertension

Details

• Personal Author:
  Clougherty JE ; Cullen MR ; Eisen EA ; Kawachi I ; Slade MD
• Description:
  Objectives: Studies have shown greater health risks associated with blue-collar manufacturing employment for women than men. It remains challenging, however, to distinguish gendered job status (affected by family composition and other personal characteristics) from sex-linked biological differences influencing physiological response to workplace physical hazards. Methods: We examined the effects of hourly (blue-collar) status on incident hypertension among men and women, using health claims data for 14618 white- and blue-collar aluminium manufacturing employees in eight US states. To explore gender differences in job status, we developed sex-stratified propensity score models identifying key socioeconomic predictors of hourly status for men and women. To examine the effects of hourly employment on hypertension risk, after adjusting for gender differences in job status, we applied time-weighted logistic regression models, stratified by propensity score, with additional adjustment for socioeconomic confounders. Results: Family structure (partnership, parity) influenced job status for both sexes; single mothers were more likely to hold hourly jobs (OR 2.02; 95% CI 1.37 to 2.97) and partnered men with children less likely (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.56 to 0.83). Education, age at hire and race influenced job status for both sexes. The effect of hourly status on hypertension was significant only among women predicted to be hourly (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.34 to 2.35). Conclusions: Our results indicate significant risks of hypertension associated with hourly status for women, possibly exacerbated by sociodemographic factors predicting hourly status (eg, single parenthood, low education). Greater attention to gender differences in job status, and finer exploration of sex-linked biological differences influencing responsivity to workplace exposures, is warranted. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular System Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Occupational Health Safety Sex Characteristics
• Keywords:
  Gender Factors Health Effects Hypertension Manufacturing Sex Factors Socioeconomics Sociological Factors
• ISSN:
  1351-0711
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 9 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  16-23
• Volume:
  68
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20056391
• Citation:
  Occup Environ Med 2011 Jan; 68(1):16-23
• Contact Point Address:
  Jane E Clougherty, Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Landmark Building, 401 Park Drive Room 404 West, Boston, MA 02115, USA
• Email:
  jcloughe@hsph.harvard.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Pittsburgh
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20090901
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20130831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:01b68426b0d5a7635991722175e06e4439caf3a0c6515e46355f2eb5c02f3ae7c29d9a57e4cfff6f2829973a7559d3fd969c9d3623df1ce7a0a925c318ba7ef6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/214006/cdc_214006_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 105.62 KB ]