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Job characteristics as mediators in SES-health relationships

Author

Listed:
  • Warren, John Robert
  • Hoonakker, Peter
  • Carayon, Pascale
  • Brand, Jennie

Abstract

We focus on physical and psychosocial job characteristics as mediators in the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and health. From sociological research on the stratification of employment outcomes we expect that people with less education, lower earnings, and lower levels of occupational standing have more physically and psychosocially demanding jobs. From the occupational stress, ergonomics, and job design literatures, we expect that people with more physically and psychosocially demanding jobs have less favorable health outcomes. Consequently, we expect to find that job characteristics play an important mediating role in associations between SES and self-assessed overall health and cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health problems. To address these hypotheses, we use data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS). We find support for our hypotheses, although the extent to which job characteristics mediate SES-health relationships varies across health outcomes and by sex.

Suggested Citation

  • Warren, John Robert & Hoonakker, Peter & Carayon, Pascale & Brand, Jennie, 2004. "Job characteristics as mediators in SES-health relationships," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 59(7), pages 1367-1378, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:59:y:2004:i:7:p:1367-1378
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    Cited by:

    1. Elaine M. Hernandez & Mike Vuolo & Laura C. Frizzell & Brian C. Kelly, 2019. "Moving Upstream: The Effect of Tobacco Clean Air Restrictions on Educational Inequalities in Smoking Among Young Adults," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(5), pages 1693-1721, October.
    2. Meyer, S.C. & Künn-Nelen, A.C., 2014. "Do occupational demands explain the educational gradient in health?," Research Memorandum 016, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    3. Jos Sanders & Luc Dorenbosch & Rob Gründemann & Roland Blonk, 2011. "Sustaining the Work Ability and Work Motivation of Lower-educated Older Workers: Directions for Work Redesign," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 22(2), pages 132-150.
    4. Gebreab, Samson Y. & Diez-Roux, Ana V. & Hickson, DeMarc A. & Boykin, Shawn & Sims, Mario & Sarpong, Daniel F. & Taylor, Herman A. & Wyatt, Sharon B., 2012. "The contribution of stress to the social patterning of clinical and subclinical CVD risk factors in African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(9), pages 1697-1707.
    5. Lorenti, Angelo & Dudel, Christian & Hale, Jo Mhairi & Myrskylä, Mikko, 2020. "Working and disability expectancies at older ages: the role of childhood circumstances and education," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 106194, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Qiu, Hanyao & Bures, Regina & Shehan, Constance L., 2012. "The inconsistent mediating effects of psychosocial work characteristics on the education–health relationship," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(8), pages 1539-1546.
    7. Huisman, Martijn & Van Lenthe, Frank & Avendano, Mauricio & Mackenbach, Johan, 2008. "The contribution of job characteristics to socioeconomic inequalities in incidence of myocardial infarction," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(11), pages 2240-2252, June.
    8. Silvana Robone & Andrew Jones & Nigel Rice, 2011. "Contractual conditions, working conditions and their impact on health and well-being," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 12(5), pages 429-444, October.
    9. Solé, Meritxell & Diaz-Serrano, Luis & Rodríguez, Marisol, 2013. "Disparities in work, risk and health between immigrants and native-born Spaniards," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 179-187.
    10. Hämmig, Oliver & Gutzwiller, Felix & Kawachi, Ichiro, 2014. "The contribution of lifestyle and work factors to social inequalities in self-rated health among the employed population in Switzerland," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 74-84.
    11. Ragna Stalsberg & Arve Vorland Pedersen, 2018. "Are Differences in Physical Activity across Socioeconomic Groups Associated with Choice of Physical Activity Variables to Report?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-23, May.
    12. Clougherty, Jane Ellen & Eisen, Ellen A. & Slade, Martin D. & Kawachi, Ichiro & Cullen, Mark R., 2009. "Workplace status and risk of hypertension among hourly and salaried aluminum manufacturing employees," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 304-313, January.
    13. Karmakar, Sunita D. & Breslin, F. Curtis, 2008. "The role of educational level and job characteristics on the health of young adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(9), pages 2011-2022, May.
    14. Kristensen, Petter & Bjerkedal, Tor & Irgens, Lorentz M., 2007. "Early life determinants of musculoskeletal sickness absence in a cohort of Norwegians born in 1967-1976," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 646-655, February.
    15. Niedhammer, Isabelle & Chastang, Jean-François & David, Simone & Kelleher, Cecily, 2008. "The contribution of occupational factors to social inequalities in health: Findings from the national French SUMER survey," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(11), pages 1870-1881, December.

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