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Gender differences in job strain, effort-reward imbalance, and health functioning among Chinese physicians

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  • Li, Jian
  • Yang, Wenjie
  • Cho, Sung-il

Abstract

To examine the association between work stress measured by job strain and effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and health functioning in a sample of hospital-based Chinese physicians, a self-reported survey with a standardized questionnaire was conducted in three hospitals in China, among 256 men and 266 women. It was found that both job strain and ERI were associated with impaired health functioning in men and women, but that ERI indicated a stronger association. Men's job control was significantly higher, and was related to men's physical health; whereas women perceived relatively higher job reward which predicted women's mental health. The findings provide evidence of the adverse effects on health functioning of both job strain and ERI, but ERI appears to have more explanatory power as a model of work stress in this sample of Chinese physicians. In addition, gender differences of work stress with respect to health are present.

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  • Li, Jian & Yang, Wenjie & Cho, Sung-il, 2006. "Gender differences in job strain, effort-reward imbalance, and health functioning among Chinese physicians," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(5), pages 1066-1077, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:62:y:2006:i:5:p:1066-1077
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    2. Migheli, Matteo, 2010. "Gender at Work: Productivity and Incentives," AICCON Working Papers 74-2010, Associazione Italiana per la Cultura della Cooperazione e del Non Profit.
    3. Xinrui Wu & Qian Liu & Qi Li & Zhengwen Tian & Hongzhuan Tan, 2019. "Health-Related Quality of Life and Its Determinants among Criminal Police Officers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-12, April.
    4. Shimazu, Akihito & de Jonge, Jan, 2009. "Reciprocal relations between effort-reward imbalance at work and adverse health: A three-wave panel survey," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 60-68, January.
    5. Lu Lu & Li Liu & Guoyuan Sui & Lie Wang, 2015. "The Associations of Job Stress and Organizational Identification with Job Satisfaction among Chinese Police Officers: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-12, November.
    6. Dan Kan & Xiaosong Yu, 2016. "Occupational Stress, Work-Family Conflict and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese Bank Employees: The Role of Psychological Capital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, January.
    7. Tinna Laufey Ásgeirsdóttir & Arnar Buason & Ásthildur Margrét Jóhannsdóttir, 2023. "Valuing the Wellbeing Associated with Psychosocial Factors at Work," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(4), pages 1737-1759, August.
    8. Orawan Kaewboonchoo & Grace Sembajwe & Jian Li, 2018. "Associations between Job Strain and Arterial Stiffness: A Large Survey among Enterprise Employees from Thailand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-13, April.
    9. Zongyu Liu & Liangyu Zhao & Shuzhen Wang & Yubo Gao & Liguo Zhang, 2022. "The Association between Occupational Stress and Mental Health among Chinese Soccer Referees in the Early Stage of Reopening Soccer Matches during the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak: A Moderated Mediation ," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-16, December.
    10. Nomura, Kyoko & Gohchi, Kengo, 2012. "Impact of gender-based career obstacles on the working status of women physicians in Japan," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(9), pages 1612-1616.
    11. Siegrist, Johannes & Shackelton, Rebecca & Link, Carol & Marceau, Lisa & von dem Knesebeck, Olaf & McKinlay, John, 2010. "Work stress of primary care physicians in the US, UK and German health care systems," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 298-304, July.
    12. Luqiao Wang & Yunke Shi & Zhao Hu & Yanyan Li & Yan Ang & Pan Jing & Bangying Zhang & Xingyu Cao & Adrian Loerbroks & Jian Li & Min Zhang, 2022. "Longitudinal Associations of Work Stress with Changes in Quality of Life among Patients after Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Hospital-Based Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-12, December.
    13. Silke Tophoven & Jean-Baptist du Prel & Richard Peter & Veronika Kretschmer, 2015. "Working in gender-dominated occupations and depressive symptoms: findings from the two age cohorts of the lidA study [Geschlechterdominierte Berufe und Depressivität: Ergebnisse zu den zwei Altersk," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 48(3), pages 247-262, October.
    14. Zuberi, Daniyal M. & Ptashnick, Melita B., 2011. "The deleterious consequences of privatization and outsourcing for hospital support work: The experiences of contracted-out hospital cleaners and dietary aids in Vancouver, Canada," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(6), pages 907-911, March.
    15. Wallace, Jean Elizabeth & Lemaire, Jane, 2007. "On physician well being--You'll get by with a little help from your friends," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(12), pages 2565-2577, June.
    16. Jiawei Zhou & Yanjie Yang & Xiaohui Qiu & Xiuxian Yang & Hui Pan & Bo Ban & Zhengxue Qiao & Lin Wang & Wenbo Wang, 2016. "Relationship between Anxiety and Burnout among Chinese Physicians: A Moderated Mediation Model," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(8), pages 1-15, August.
    17. Coda Moscarola, Flavia & Migheli, Matteo, 2015. "Educating Children to Save: an Experimental Approach to Financial Education of Pupils in Primary Schools," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201502, University of Turin.

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