title: Buffering effect of workplace social capital on the association of job insecurity with psychological distress in Japanese employees: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to examine the buffering effect of workplace social capital (WSC) on the association of job insecurity with psychological distress in Japanese employees.
  
  
  METHODS
  2,971 employees from two factories of a manufacturing company in Japan completed a self-administered questionnaire including the scales on job insecurity, WSC, psychological distress, demographic and occupational characteristics, and quantitative workload. Using psychological distress (defined as a total score of the K6 scale ≥5) as a dependent variable, multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. In a series of analyses, interaction term of job insecurity×WSC was included in the model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for demographic and occupational characteristics as well as for quantitative workload and interaction effect of quantitative workload×WSC, high job insecurity and low WSC were significantly associated with psychological distress. Furthermore, a significant interaction effect of job insecurity×WSC was observed. Specifically, the association of job insecurity with psychological distress was greater among those who perceived lower levels of WSC (prevalence odds ratio=3.79 [95% confidence interval=2.70-5.32] for high vs. low job insecurity subgroup) than among those who perceived higher levels of WSC (prevalence odds ratio=2.96 [95% confidence interval=2.19-4.01] for high vs. low job insecurity subgroup). These findings were replicated among permanent male employees in the gender-stratified analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study suggests that WSC has a buffering effect on the association of job insecurity with psychological distress at least among Japanese permanent male employees.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health.
authors.forename: Akiomi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Norito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Akizumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015279:Organizational Culture; D066270:Social Capital; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*