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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Research article

Working hours and self-rated health over 7 years: gender differences in a Korean longitudinal study

Authors: Seong-Sik Cho, Myung Ki, Keun-Hoe Kim, Young-Su Ju, Domyung Paek, Wonyun Lee

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2015

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Abstract

Background

To investigate the association between long working hours and self-rated health (SRH), examining the roles of potential confounding and mediating factors, such as job characteristics.

Methods

Data were pooled from seven waves (2005–2011) of the Korean Labour and Income Panel Study. A total of 1578 workers who consecutively participated in all seven study years were available for analysis. A generalized estimating equation for repeated measures with binary outcome was used to examine the association between working hours (five categories; 20–35, 36–40, 41–52, 53–68 and ≥69 h) and SRH (two categories; poor and good health), considering possible confounders and serial correlation.

Results

Associations between working hours and SRH were observed among women, but only for the category of the shortest working hours among men. The associations with the category of shortest working hours among men and women disappeared after adjustment for socioeconomic factors. Among women, though not men, working longer than standard hours (36–40 h) showed a linear association with poor health; OR = 1.41 (95 % CI = 1.08–1.84) for 52–68 working hours and OR = 2.11 (95 % CI = 1.42–3.12) for ≥69 working hours. This association persisted after serial adjustments. However, it was substantially attenuated with the addition of socioeconomic factors (e.g., OR = 1.66 (95 % CI = 1.07–2.57)) but only slightly attenuated with further adjustment for behavioural factors (e.g., OR = 1.63 (95 % CI = 1.05–2.53)). The associations with job satisfaction were significant for men and women.

Conclusions

The worsening of SRH with increasing working hours only among women suggests that female workers are more vulnerable to long working hours because of family responsibilities in addition to their workload.
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Metadata
Title
Working hours and self-rated health over 7 years: gender differences in a Korean longitudinal study
Authors
Seong-Sik Cho
Myung Ki
Keun-Hoe Kim
Young-Su Ju
Domyung Paek
Wonyun Lee
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-2641-1

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