title: Gender differences in the use of alcohol and prescription drugs in relation to job insecurity. Testing a model of mediating factors.
abstract: The results of several studies suggest that economy-related stressors are less distressing for women compared with men. This study proposed to examine the relationship of perceived job insecurity with the use of licit drugs using a theoretical model that considered antecedents and mediators of this association, in order to identify differences between working men and women.
  
  
  
  Using information from the Catalan Health Survey (2010-2014), we selected working individuals aged 16-64 who were primary providers of household income (N=5315). The outcomes were two measures of alcohol consumption (heavy drinking and binge drinking) and the use of hypnotics/sedatives. As antecedents of the exposure to job insecurity we considered the type of contractual relationship and occupational class. The mediating factors were poor mental health, household structure and the hours of housework per week. The theoretical model was assessed using path analysis where the moderating effect of gender was considered in all the associations.
  
  
  
  No differences in the prevalence of job insecurity were found between men and women (17%). Job insecurity (Odds ratio [OR]=1.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.23-1.48) and house workload (OR=1.01, 95% CI=1.00-1.02) were positively associated with poor mental health, with no significant interactions with gender. Poor mental health was significantly associated with binge drinking (OR=1.23, 95% CI=1.13-1.33) and with the use of hypnotics/sedatives (OR=1.71, 95% CI=1.53-1.91). House workload showed a direct negative association with binge drinking (OR=0.99, 95% CI=0.98-1.00), while those in households with no children were more likely to be binge drinkers, with no significant interactions with gender. An alternative model had better fitting results for heavy drinking.
  
  
  
  No gender differences were found in the association of job insecurity with mental health nor with the use of substances among primary providers of household income, emphasising the importance of social roles when assessing differences in mental health among men and women.
authors: Drug Abuse Epidemiology Research Group, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Esther
authors: E
authors: Colell
authors: Research Unit on Impact, Risk and Prevention of Mental Disorders, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, CIBERESP, Spain.
authors: Albert
authors: A
authors: Sanchez-Niubo
authors: CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, CIBERESP, Spain; Health Services Research Unit, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors: Montse
authors: M
authors: Ferrer
authors: Drug Abuse Epidemiology Research Group, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: adomingo@imim.es.
authors: Antònia
authors: A
authors: Domingo-Salvany
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006796:Household Work; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D000073397:Occupational Stress / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010465:Perception; D063487:Prescription Drug Misuse / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016526:Workload; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol; Gender; Job insecurity; Mental health; Path analysis; Prescription drugs; Spain