Safety and Health at Work

Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (산업안전보건연구원)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Relationship of Occupational Category With Risk of Physical and Mental Health Problems

  • Ahn, Jaeouk (Department of Medical IT Engineering, College of Medical Sciences, Soonchunhyang University) ;
  • Kim, Nam-Soo (Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Soonchunhyang University) ;
  • Lee, Byung-Kook (Department of Preventive Medicine, Soonchunhyang University) ;
  • Park, Jungsun (Department of Occupational Health, Daegu Catholic University) ;
  • Kim, Yangho (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine)
  • Received : 2019.05.21
  • Accepted : 2019.07.26
  • Published : 2019.12.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Objectives: We evaluated the physical and mental health problems of waged workers in Korea who had different classes of occupation. Methods: We used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2017) to examine 22,788 workers who were waged employees and categorized these workers into 5 occupational classes. Results: "Unskilled manual workers" were more likely to be older, less educated, have lower monthly income, and work fewer hours per week. Among men and relative to "managers and professionals" (reference group), "skilled manual workers" were more likely to have physician-diagnosed osteoarthritis, "clerks" were less likely to report suicidal ideation, and "unskilled manual workers" were more likely to report suicidal ideation. Among women and relative to "managers and professionals" (reference group), "service and sales workers" and "unskilled manual workers" were more likely to report physician-diagnosed osteoarthritis, depressive feelings, and suicidal ideation. However, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases did not differ among the occupational classes for men and women. Conclusion: We identified differences between men and women and among those in different occupational classes regarding employment status, physical health, and mental health. "Unskilled manual workers" of both genders were more likely to be older, less educated, have less monthly income, work fewer hours per week, and have suicidal ideation. Female "service and sales workers" were more likely to have osteoarthritis, depressive feelings, and suicidal ideation.

Keywords

References

  1. Wilkinson RG, Marmot M. Social determinants of health: the solid facts. World Health Organization; 2003.
  2. LaMontagne A, Vallance D. Occupational skill level and hazardous exposures among working victorians. Aust J Lab Econ 2008;11:47-70.
  3. Keleher H, MacDougall C. Understanding health. Oxford University Press; 2015.
  4. Quinlan M. The effects of non-standard forms of employment on worker health and safety. Geneva: ILO; 2015.
  5. Havranek EP, Mujahid MS, Barr DA, Blair IV, Cohen MS, Cruz-Flores S, Davey-Smith G, Dennison-Himmelfarb CR, Lauer MS, Lockwood DW, et al. Social determinants of risk and outcomes for cardiovascular disease: a scientific statement from the American heart association. Circulation 2015;132(9):873-98. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000228
  6. Basu S, Ratcliffe G, Green M. Health and pink-collar work. Occup Med 2015;65(7):529-34. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqv103
  7. McClure LA, LeBlanc WG, Fernandez CA, Fleming LE, Lee DJ, Moore KJ, Caban-Martinez AJ. Green collar workers: an emerging workforce in the environmental sector. J Occup Environ Med 2017;59(5):440-5. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000000986
  8. Seok H, Choi SJ, Yoon JH, Song GG, Won JU, Kim JH, Roh J, Jung JH. The association between osteoarthritis and occupational clusters in the Korean population: a nationwide study. PLoS One 2017;12(1) e0170229. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170229
  9. Park S, Jung PK, Choi M, Seok H, Kim H, Oh SS, Koh SB. Association between occupational clusters and allergic rhinitis in the Korean population: analysis of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. J Occup Health 2018;60(4):312-9. https://doi.org/10.1539/joh.2017-0234-OA
  10. Hochschild AR. The managed heart. Commercialization of human feeling;1991.
  11. Park J, Han B, Park J-s, Park EJ, Kim Y. Nonstandard workers and differential occupational safety and health vulnerabilities. Am J Ind Med 2019;62(8):701-15. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22997
  12. Case A, Deaton AS. Broken down by work and sex: how our health declines. In: Analyses in the economics of aging. University of Chicago Press; 2005. p. 185-212.
  13. Van Kippersluis H, O'Donnell O, Van Doorslaer E, Van Ourti T. Socioeconomic differences in health over the life cycle in an Egalitarian country. Soc Sci Med 2010;70(3):428-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.10.020
  14. Kim IH, Khang YH, Cho SI, Chun H, Muntaner C, Health P. Gender, professional and non-professional work, and the changing pattern of employment-related inequality in poor self-rated health, 1995-2006 in South Korea. J Prev Med Public Health 2011;44(1):22-31. https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.2011.44.1.22
  15. Davey Smith G, Hart C, Hole D, MacKinnon P, Gillis C, Watt G, Blane D, Hawthorne V. Education and occupational social class: which is the more important indicator of mortality risk? J Epidemiol Community Health 1998;52(3):153-60. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.52.3.153
  16. Kweon S, Kim Y, Jang MJ, Kim Y, Kim K, Choi S, Chun C, Khang YH, Oh K. Data resource profile: the Korea national health and nutrition examination survey (KNHANES). Int J Epidemiol 2014;43(1):69-77. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyt228
  17. Park J, Kim Y. From workers to the working age population: a new paradigm for the Occupational Health Service. Saf Health Work 2019;10(3):251-3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2019.07.002
  18. Erickson RJ, Wharton AS. Inauthenticity and depression: assessing the consequences of interactive service work. Work Occup 1997;24(2):188-213. https://doi.org/10.1177/0730888497024002004
  19. Iacovides A, Fountoulakis K, Kaprinis S, Kaprinis G. The relationship between job stress, burnout and clinical depression. J Affect Disord 2003;75(3):209-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-0327(02)00101-5
  20. Ratcliffe GE, Enns MW, Belik S-L, Sareen J. Chronic pain conditions and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts: an epidemiologic perspective. Clin J Pain 2008;24(3):204-10. https://doi.org/10.1097/AJP.0b013e31815ca2a3
  21. Korea Statistics. Korean standard classification of occupations (KSCO); 2016.
  22. International Labour Office. International standard classification of occupations: ISCO-88. Geneva: ILO; 2012.
  23. De Castro AB, Agnew J, Fitzgerald ST. Emotional labor: relevant theory for occupational health practice in post-industrial America. AAOHN J 2004;52(3):109-15. https://doi.org/10.1177/216507990405200307
  24. Park J, Han BY, Kim Y. Gender differences in occupations and complaints of musculoskeletal symptoms: representative sample of South Korean workers. Am J Ind Med 2017;60(4):342-9. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22698
  25. Kelly MM, Tyrka AR, Price LH, Carpenter LL. Sex differences in the use of coping strategies: predictors of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Depression and Anxiety 2008;25(10):839-46. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20341
  26. Marmot MG, Rose G, Shipley M, Hamilton PJ. Employment grade and coronary heart disease in British civil servants. J Epidemiol Community Health 1978;32(4):244-9. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.32.4.244
  27. Stringhini S, Carmeli C, Jokela M, Avendano M, Muennig P, Guida F, Ricceri F, d'Errico A, Barros H, Bochud M, et al. Socioeconomic status and the 25 x 25 risk factors as determinants of premature mortality: a multicohort study and meta-analysis of 1.7 million men and women. Lancet (London, England) 2017;389(10075):1229-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)32380-7
  28. Zaitsu M, Kato S, Kim Y, Takeuchi T, Sato Y, Kobayashi Y, Kawachi I. Occupational class and risk of cardiovascular disease incidence in Japan: nationwide, multicenter, hospital-based case-control study. JAHA 2019;8(6):e011350.
  29. Lee W, Yeom H, Yoon JH, Won JU, Jung PK, Lee JH, Seok H, Roh J. Metabolic outcomes of workers according to the international standard classification of occupations in Korea. Am J Ind Med 2016;59(8):685-94. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22596
  30. Callahan LF, Cleveland RJ, Shreffler J, Schwartz TA, Schoster B, Randolph R, Renner JB, Jordan JM. Associations of educational attainment, occupation and community poverty with knee osteoarthritis in the Johnston County (North Carolina) osteoarthritis project. Arthritis Res Ther 2011;13(5):R169. https://doi.org/10.1186/ar3492
  31. Callahan LF, Shreffler J, Siaton BC, Helmick CG, Schoster B, Schwartz TA, Chen JC, Renner JB, Jordan JM. Limited educational attainment and radiographic and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Johnston County (North Carolina) Osteoarthritis Project. Arthritis Res Ther 2010;12(2):R46. https://doi.org/10.1186/ar2956
  32. Hannan MT, Anderson JJ, Pincus T, Felson DT. Educational attainment and osteoarthritis: differential associations with radiographic changes and symptom reporting. J Clin Epidemiol 1992;45(2):139-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/0895-4356(92)90006-9
  33. Callahan LF, Shreffler J, Mielenz T, Schoster B, Kaufman JS, Xiao C, Randolph R, Sloane PD. Arthritis in the family practice setting: associations with education and community poverty. Arthritis Rheum 2008;59(7):1002-8. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.23834
  34. Canizares M, Power JD, Perruccio AV, Badley EM. Association of regional racial/cultural context and socioeconomic status with arthritis in the population: a multilevel analysis. Arthritis Rheum 2008;59(3):399-407. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.23316
  35. Wang PP, Badley EM. Consistent low prevalence of arthritis in quebec: findings from a provincial variation study in Canada based on several canadian population health surveys. J Rheumatol 2003;30(1):126-31.
  36. Park J, Yang D, Ock M, Park G, Kim DG, Kim Y. Coordination of occupational and community health services benefits precarious workers. Wulfenia 2019;26(3):31-7.
  37. Quesnel-Vallee A, DeHaney S, Ciampi A. Temporary work and depressive symptoms: a propensity score analysis. Soc Sci Med 2010;70(12):1982-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.02.008
  38. Yoon JH, Jeung D, Chang SJ. Does high emotional demand with low job control relate to suicidal ideation among service and sales workers in Korea? J Korean Med Sci 2016;31(7):1042-8. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2016.31.7.1042
  39. Min KB, Park SG, Hwang SH, Min JY. Precarious employment and the risk of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Prev Med 2015;71:72-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.12.017
  40. Kraut A, Walld R. Influence of lack of full-time employment on attempted suicide in Manitoba, Canada. Scand J Work Environ Health 2003;29(1):15-21. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.699
  41. Bertolote JM, Fleischmann A, De Leo D, Wasserman D. Psychiatric diagnoses and suicide: revisiting the evidence. Crisis 2004;25(4):147-55. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910.25.4.147
  42. Association AP. Practice guideline for the assessment and treatment of patients with suicidal behaviors. Am J Psychiatry 2003;160(11 Suppl. l):1-60. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.160.1.1
  43. World Health Organization. Stresa declaration on workers health. Geneva: WHO; 2006.
  44. Baron SL, Steege AL, Hughes Jr JT, Beard SD. Introduction to a special issue: eliminatinghealth and safety inequities atwork .Am J Ind Med 2014;57(5):493-4. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22321
  45. Landsbergis PA, Grzywacz JG, LaMontagne AD. Work organization, job insecurity, and occupational health disparities. Am J Ind Med 2014;57(5):495-515. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22126
  46. Siqueira CE, Gaydos M, Monforton C, Slatin C, Borkowski L, Dooley P, Liebman A, Rosenberg E, Shor G, Keifer M. Effects of social, economic, and labor policies on occupational health disparities. Am J Ind Med 2014;57(5):557-72. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22186
  47. Korean Statistical Information Service. KOSIS data for causes of death. Seoul; 2018.
  48. The organisation for economic co-operation and development. OECD Health Data 2013 2016.
  49. Carrieri V, Novi CD, Jacobs R, Robone S. Insecure, sick and unhappy? Wellbeing consequences of temporary employment contracts. In: Factors affecting worker well-being: the impact of change in the labor market. Emerald Group Publishing Limited; 2014. p. 157-93.

Cited by

  1. Effects of Occupational Hazards on Job Stress and Mental Health of Factory Workers and Miners: A Propensity Score Analysis vol.2020, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/1754897
  2. The Association between Longest-Held Lifetime Occupation and Late-Life Cognitive Impairment: Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (2006–2016) vol.17, pp.17, 2019, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176270
  3. Dose-response relationship between working hours and hypertension : A 22-year follow-up study vol.100, pp.16, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000025629
  4. Psychological well-being of South Korean employees in different occupational classes vol.76, pp.6, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1080/19338244.2020.1841719