title: All part of the job? The contribution of the psychosocial and physical work environment to health inequalities in Europe and the European health divide.
abstract: This study is the first to examine the contribution of both psychosocial and physical risk factors to occupational inequalities in self-assessed health in Europe. Data from 27 countries were obtained from the 2010 European Working Conditions Survey for men and women aged 16 to 60 (n = 21,803). Multilevel logistic regression analyses (random intercept) were applied, estimating odds ratios of reporting less than good health. Analyses indicate that physical working conditions account for a substantial proportion of occupational inequalities in health in both Central/Eastern and Western Europe. Physical, rather than psychosocial, working conditions seem to have the largest effect on self-assessed health in manual classes. For example, controlling for physical working conditions reduced the inequalities in the prevalence of"less than good health" between the lowest (semi- and unskilled manual workers) and highest (higher controllers) occupational groups in Europe by almost 50 percent (Odds Ratio 1.87, 95% Confidence Interval 1.62-2.16 to 1.42, 1.23-1.65). Physical working conditions contribute substantially to health inequalities across "post-industrial" Europe, with women in manual occupations being particularly vulnerable, especially those living in Central/Eastern Europe. An increased political and academic focus on physical working conditions is needed to explain and potentially reduce occupational inequalities in health.
authors.forename: Marlen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toch
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bambra
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lunau
authors.forename: Kjetil A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: van der Wel
authors.forename: Margot I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Witvliet
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dragano
authors.forename: Terje A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Eikemo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004522:Educational Status; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D009790:Occupations; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D017132:Workplace; D055815:Young Adult