title: Workers' perceptions of how jobs affect health: a social ecological perspective.
abstract: A national sample of 2,048 workers was asked to rate the impact of their job on their physical and mental health. Ordered logistic regression analyses based on social ecology theory showed that the workers' responses were significantly correlated with objective and subjective features of their jobs, in addition to personality characteristics. Workers who had higher levels of perceived constraints and neuroticism, worked nights or overtime, or reported serious ongoing stress at work or higher job pressure reported more negative effects. Respondents who had a higher level of extraversion, were self-employed, or worked part time or reported greater decision latitude or use of skills on the job reported more positive effects. These findings suggest that malleable features of the work environment are associated with perceived effects of work on health, even after controlling for personality traits and other sources of reporting bias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), School of Medicine, and Department of Health Services, UCLA School of Public Health, 911 Broxton Plaza, Box 103, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. settner@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ettner
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Grzywacz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014937:Work