Sino-American employer perspective about behavioral-driven health conditions: predictive analyses.
OBJECTIVE
A large-scale quantitative study was conducted by stratified representative samples from Chicago (prototype of the United States; N = 293), Beijing (prototype of urbanized China; N = 302), and Hong Kong (prototype of East-meets-West culture; N = 284) to explore factors that might lead to their stigmatizing attitudes towards hiring individuals with (mental illness, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and HIV/AIDS) and without (bone cancer) behavioral-driven health conditions.


METHODS
Consented employers completed the Employer Survey pertaining to their attitudes towards specific health conditions, previous hiring experiences, resources, assets of applicants, and hiring concerns.


RESULTS
The findings suggested that employers in Hong Kong and Beijing were more willing to hire individuals with alcohol abuse, whereas employers in Chicago were more willing to hire those with HIV/AIDS or bone cancer. Logistic regression suggested that the type of health conditions, assets of applicants, and perceived level of dangerousness of applicants were significant predictors that contributed to employers' hiring preference.


CONCLUSIONS
Employers express different hiring preference towards individuals with or without behavioral-driven health conditions. Their hiring preference towards specific type of health conditions is discussed.
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong. rshtsang@inet.polyu.edu.hk
Hector W H
HW
Tsang
Patrick W
PW
Corrigan
Kelvin M T
KM
Fung
Kan
K
Shi
Chow
C
Lam
Jon
J
Larson
Scott
S
Morris
Raymond C K
RC
Chung
D001294:Attitude to Health; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D002641:Chicago; D002681:China; D003469:Culture; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013240:Stereotyping