Technology-induced job loss risk, disability and all-cause mortality in Norway.

BACKGROUND: Ongoing shifts in economic structure from automation and globalisation can affect employment and mortality, yet these relations are not well described. OBJECTIVE: We assess whether long-term employment and health outcomes relate systematically to structural change in the labour market, using the occupational Routine Task Intensity (RTI) score as indicator of exposure is to risks of outsourcing and technology-induced job loss. METHODS: Using a cohort design and administrative data with national population coverage, we categorise all Norwegian employees in 2003 by the RTI score of their occupation and examine how this score correlates with employment and health outcomes measured in 2018 and 2019. The study sample counts 416 003 men and 376 413 women aged 33-52 in 2003. RESULTS: The occupational RTI score at baseline is robustly associated with long-term employment, disability and mortality outcomes. Raw correlations are reduced after adjustment for potential confounders, but associations remain substantial in models controlling for individual covariates and in sibling comparisons. Working in an occupation with RTI score 1 SD above the mean in 2003 is associated with a raised probability of being deceased in 2019 of 0.24 percentage points (95% CI: 0.18 to 0.30) for men and 0.13 percentage points (95% CI: 0.02 to 0.24) for women, corresponding to raised mortality rates of 6.7% and 5.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals in occupations characterised by high routine intensity are less likely to remain employed in the long term, and have higher rates of disability and mortality.

Preschool Gender-Typed Play Behavior Predicts Adolescent Gender-Typed Occupational Interests: A 10-Year Longitudinal Study.

There are significant gender differences in both play behavior and occupational interests. Play has been regarded as an important medium for development of skills and personal characteristics. Play may also influence subsequent preferences through social and cognitive processes involved in gender development. The present study investigated the association between gender-typed play behavior in early childhood and gender-typed occupational interests in early adolescence. Participants were drawn from a British longitudinal population study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Participants were recruited based on their parent-reported gender-typed play behavior assessed at age 3.5 years. There were 66 masculine boys and 61 masculine girls, 82 feminine boys and 69 feminine girls, and 55 randomly selected control boys and 67 randomly selected control girls. At age 13 years, the participants were administered a questionnaire assessing their interest in gender-typed occupations. It was found that masculine children showed significantly more interest in male-typical occupations than did control or feminine children. Compared with control children, feminine children had marginally significantly lower interest in male-typical jobs. Masculine children also had significantly lower interest in female-typical jobs than did control or feminine children. The associations were not moderated by gender and were observed after taking into account sociodemographic background, parental occupations, and academic performance. The degree of gender-typed play shown by preschoolers can predict their occupational interests 10 years later following transition into adolescence. Childhood gender-typed play has occupational implications that transcend developmental stages.

Profiles of decent work: General trends and group differences.

Recent trends in the labor market-marked by instability and insecurity-have further ignited a discourse on the significance of decent work in people's lives. Scholars have mostly studied the multidimensional decent work construct using the composite scores of the Decent Work Scale (DWS; Duffy et al., 2017). However, there may be different combinations of decent work beyond the simple continuum of composite scores. Thus, we employed latent profile analysis to identify profiles of decent work using the 5 subscales of the DWS as indicators. As a result, 5 different groups with distinct profiles emerged: (a) average, (b) low health care, (c) indecent work, (d) only health care, and (e) decent work. Subsequent analyses comparing each group on demographics (gender, employment, education), theoretical predictors (economic constraints, marginalization, work volition), and theoretical outcomes (job satisfaction, life satisfaction) revealed notable differences across the 5 groups. Implications, limitations, and future directions of the results are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The ripple prediction of ambiguity aversion in career decision-making.

While previous research has supported the role of ambiguity aversion in the career decision-making process, little is known about the relation between ambiguity aversion and the outcomes of career decision-making. Using a sample of U.S. employees (n = 288), the current study examined the prediction of ambiguity aversion for job and life satisfaction and the mediation of these relations through career decision-making style and perceived person-environment fit. The results support a sequential dual mediator model in which ambiguity aversion negatively predicts job and life satisfaction sequentially through a rational decision-making style and perceived person-environment fit. Additionally, the results support a single mediator model in which ambiguity aversion negatively predicts job and life satisfaction only in perceived person-environment fit. Therefore, the current study demonstrates a ripple prediction of managing ambiguity for the distal outcomes of job and life satisfaction and suggests a relational mechanism. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed together with the limitations and suggestions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Women attaining decent work: The important role of workplace climate in Psychology of Working Theory.

Grounded in Psychology of Working Theory (PWT), the current study investigated predictors of decent work among a sample of employed women (N = 528). A structural equation model was examined finding that women's experiences of marginalization, work volition, and career adaptability all directly predicted the attainment of decent work, and economic constraints and marginalization experiences indirectly predicted decent work via work volition. Additionally, workplace climate for women employees was examined as both a predictor and moderator variable to explore best positioning of this additive construct. Workplace climate did not significantly moderate any model paths; however, it was a unique predictor of work volition and decent work, suggesting that this construct may be better positioned as a predictor variable in understanding the work experiences of women. These results highlight the importance of further investigating the role of workplace climate in PWT as well as the need for refining our understanding of how marginalized employees achieve decent work. Implications of the present study's results are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

A cross-cultural comparison of psychology of working theory among U.S. and Korean college students.

The cross-cultural validity of a modified version of psychology of working theory (PWT; Duffy, Blustein, Diemer, & Autin, 2016) was tested in samples of United States (n = 346) and Korean (n = 319) undergraduates. Participants completed measures of economic resources, work volition, career adaptability, occupational engagement, and future decent work perceptions. The results illustrated measurement invariance between the two samples. Thus, the hypothesized models were tested separately in the two samples and the results were compared regarding parameter significance, direction, and magnitude. Overall, the modified model generally fit well with both samples. However, there were notable cross-cultural differences: economic resources significantly predicted work volition, occupational engagement, and future decent work perceptions only in the United States sample and the future decent work perceptions and occupational engagement were negatively associated in the Korean sample. Explanations about the cross-cultural differences and invariances were provided and practical and research implications were discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Ambiguity aversion in career decision-making: Its longitudinal prediction for college career outcomes.

Although previous research has revealed the role of ambiguity aversion in the career decision-making process, little is known about how ambiguity aversion predicts subsequent career decision-making outcomes. Using a sample of U.S. college students (n = 371), the current study examined a longitudinal (3 waves) mediation model in which ambiguity aversion predicts subsequent college career outcomes through commitment anxiety. The results showed that ambiguity aversion at the beginning of college negatively predicted major and life satisfaction and job search self-efficacy at the end of college. Additionally, the results showed that commitment anxiety at the end of the first semester mediated the link from ambiguity aversion to subsequent major and life satisfaction and job search self-efficacy. Therefore, the study demonstrates the importance of ambiguity management for career outcomes among college students. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed together with the limitations and suggestions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

What occupational preference types dominate among nurses and paramedics with implications for wellbeing?: A scoping review.

Understanding the occupational typological nature of nursing and paramedicine and the typological preferences of these within the professions offers significant evidence of factors that can facilitate wellbeing and efficiencies. Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage scoping methodology was used to review the literature. The research question used to guide this scoping review was: Which Holland code is more dominant among nurses and paramedics? Nine articles were included in this review, from which two broad themes emerged: Job satisfaction/academic success; and personality-employment fit across gender and subgroups within the same occupation. While the Social (S) personality type dominated across the studies for both nurses and paramedics, overall, the studies identified various combinations of the personality profile and, in some cases, personality types foreign to the occupation also formed part of the Holland code. Congruence can be thought of as playing an important role in nurses'/paramedics' overall well-being regardless of the order of their three dominant personality types.

Changes in the gender segregation of occupations in Sweden between 2003 and 2011.

AIM: The aim of this study was to analyze possible changes in the gender composition of occupations in Sweden, using register data covering the whole working population. METHODS: Cross tabulations on gender by occupation were computed and comparisons made of numbers and proportions of women and men aged 20-64 years to illustrate occupational gender-segregation categories in 2003 and 2011, respectively. All of those in working ages, employed in 2003 and 2011 (4.2 resp 4.7 millions individuals), were included. Differences in the distribution of women and men in all occupations were summarized using two gender-segregation indexes from 2003 and 2011, separately. RESULTS: The proportion of women increased in the gender-integrated (⩾40-<60% women) occupations. Also, the proportion of women in high-skilled professional occupations in the male-dominated category increased, as well as the proportion of men in mostly low-skilled female-dominated occupations, mainly in the service sector. The gender-segregation of occupations measured by the Index of Dissimilarly and the Karmel and MacLachlan Index was lower in 2011 than in 2003. CONCLUSIONS: The process of de-segregation has continued during our study period, from 2003 to 2011. The proportion of women increased in occupations that demand higher education, both in gender-integrated and in male-dominated occupations, which can contribute to a decrease in the level of sickness absence for women. Men increased their proportion in low-skilled, female-dominated occupations - a group with high levels of sickness absence or disability pension.

Application of the psychology of working theory with Korean emerging adults.

Psychology of Working Theory (PWT; Duffy, Blustein, Diemer, & Autin, 2016) is a recently developed framework aimed at documenting predictors and outcomes of decent work. To date, no studies have explored the applicability of the psychology of working perspective with emerging adults. The goal of the present study is to examine the predictor portion of PWT with a sample of Korean emerging adults from diverse economic backgrounds. Data were collected from a sample of 407 emerging adults attending a large junior college in Korea. Overall, most of the hypothesized direct paths were significant, with economic resources positively relating to both work volition and career adaptability and these positively relating to occupational engagement and future perceptions of securing decent work. Support for the hypothesized indirect effects was mixed. Overall, results suggest that the PWT is generally relevant and applicable to emerging adults when population-appropriate outcomes are included in the model and that the theory is supported in the Korean context. Based on the results, we also propose that interventions based on malleable psychological factors-the mediators in our study-may be targets when working with emerging adults experiencing economic constraints. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

A Second Look at the Process of Occupational Feminization and Pay Reduction in Occupations.

Using the IPUMS-USA data for the years 1960-2015, this study examines trends in the effect of occupational feminization on occupational pay in the U.S. labor market and explores some of the mechanisms underlying these trends. The findings show that the (negative) association between occupational feminization and occupational pay level has declined, becoming insignificent in 2015. This trend, however, is reversed after education is controlled for at the individual as well as the occupational level. The two opposite trends are discussed in light of the twofold effect of education: (1) the entry of women into occupations requiring high education, and (2) the growing returns to education and to occupations with higher educational requirements. These two processes have concealed the deterioration in occupational pay following feminization. The findings underscore the significance of structural forms of gender inequality in general, and occupational devaluation in particular.

Costs, Trends, and Related Factors in Treating Lung Cancer Patients in 67 Hospitals in Guangxi, China.

Lung cancer is a common disease with high mortality in China. Recent economic advances have led to improved medical capabilities, while costs associated with treating this disease have increased. Such change contributes to a commonly held belief that healthcare costs are out of control. However, few studies have examined this issue. Here, we use 34,678 hospitalization summary reports from 67 Guangxi hospitals (period 2013-2016) to document costs, temporal trends, and associated factors. Findings from this study are surprising in that they debunk the myth of uncontrolled healthcare costs. In addition, results and experiences from Guangxi are informative for other comparable regions.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Profile and Readiness to Change in Blue- and White-Collar Workers.

This study provides a health and risk profile of blue- (BCWs) and white-collar workers (WCWs). Health screening data (n = 603; age 38.2 ± 9.7 years) included cholesterol and glucose finger-prick test, blood pressure, body mass index, and self-reported stress levels and readiness to change. Blue-collar workers were significantly older and had higher blood pressure readings and were more likely to develop hypertension (odds ratio [OR]: 1.72; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-2.81; P = .03), but less likely to present with hypercholesterolemia (OR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.31-0.81; P = .01) and overweight/obesity (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.42-0.99; P = .047). White-collar workers showed significantly higher cholesterol and stress levels. This study highlights the importance of occupation type in workplace health screening and intervention planning.

Combined analysis of job and task benzene air exposures among workers at four US refinery operations.

Workplace air samples analyzed for benzene at four US refineries from 1976 to 2007 were pooled into a single dataset to characterize similarities and differences between job titles, tasks and refineries, and to provide a robust dataset for exposure reconstruction. Approximately 12,000 non-task (>180 min) personal samples associated with 50 job titles and 4000 task (<180 min) samples characterizing 24 tasks were evaluated. Personal air sample data from four individual refineries were pooled based on a number of factors including (1) the consistent sampling approach used by refinery industrial hygienists over time, (2) the use of similar exposure controls, (3) the comparability of benzene content of process streams and end products, (4) the ability to assign uniform job titles and task codes across all four refineries, and (5) our analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the distribution of benzene air concentrations for select jobs/tasks across all four refineries. The jobs and tasks most frequently sampled included those with highest potential contact with refinery product streams containing benzene, which reflected the targeted sampling approach utilized by the facility industrial hygienists. Task and non-task data were analyzed to identify and account for significant differences within job-area, task-job, and task-area categories. This analysis demonstrated that in general, areas with benzene containing process streams were associated with greater benzene air concentrations compared to areas with process streams containing little to no benzene. For several job titles and tasks analyzed, there was a statistically significant decrease in benzene air concentration after 1990. This study provides a job and task-focused analysis of occupational exposure to benzene during refinery operations, and it should be useful for reconstructing refinery workers' exposures to benzene over the past 30 years.

Where are they now? Psychosocial, educational, and vocational outcomes after epilepsy surgery in childhood.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the social, educational, and vocational outcomes of young adults who underwent resective epilepsy surgery in childhood (4-11 years earlier), and in a comparison group of nonsurgical patients with intractable epilepsy. METHODS: Participants were 78 patients (mean age 22.37, standard deviation [SD] 2.47 years) with childhood onset intractable epilepsy, of whom 51 underwent surgery. At follow-up, participants were at least 18 years of age. Patients' current education, employment, income, and various social factors, including living arrangements, relationship status, and involvement with friends and community organizations were recorded. In addition, parents of patients completed the Adult Behaviour Checklist (ABCL). Employment status, education, and income were compared with provincial census data. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of surgical and nonsurgical patients who were seizure-free in the 12 months preceding the study: 53% and 33%, respectively (p = 0.10). Among all patients, 60% were enrolled in, or had completed, postsecondary education and 82% were employed or a student; similar to the general population. However, compared with population data, fewer patients with epilepsy (20%) had an annual income of $10,000 or greater (p < 0.001). Compared to normative data, a greater proportion of patients scored in the abnormal range in some ABCL scales (p < 0.028). Patients with IQs > 85 had significantly better educational, vocational, and psychosocial outcomes compared to patients with IQs ≤ 85. Surgical and nonsurgical patients did not differ on any outcome variable. Compared to patients with seizures, more seizure-free patients were living independently (p = 0.03), and had a driver's licence (p < 0.001). Other outcomes were similar among patients with and without seizures. SIGNIFICANCE: Overall, patients with intractable epilepsy in childhood attained educational and vocational outcomes similar to that of the general population, but earned a significantly lower income. Seizure freedom, attained through surgery or medication management, was associated with better outcomes in limited psychosocial measures.

The impact of increasing income inequalities on educational inequalities in mortality - An analysis of six European countries.

BACKGROUND: Over the past decades, both health inequalities and income inequalities have been increasing in many European countries, but it is unknown whether and how these trends are related. We test the hypothesis that trends in health inequalities and trends in income inequalities are related, i.e. that countries with a stronger increase in income inequalities have also experienced a stronger increase in health inequalities. METHODS: We collected trend data on all-cause and cause-specific mortality, as well as on the household income of people aged 35-79, for Belgium, Denmark, England & Wales, France, Slovenia, and Switzerland. We calculated absolute and relative differences in mortality and income between low- and high-educated people for several time points in the 1990s and 2000s. We used fixed-effects panel regression models to see if changes in income inequality predicted changes in mortality inequality. RESULTS: The general trend in income inequality between high- and low-educated people in the six countries is increasing, while the mortality differences between educational groups show diverse trends, with absolute differences mostly decreasing and relative differences increasing in some countries but not in others. We found no association between trends in income inequalities and trends in inequalities in all-cause mortality, and trends in mortality inequalities did not improve when adjusted for rising income inequalities. This result held for absolute as well as for relative inequalities. A cause-specific analysis revealed some association between income inequality and mortality inequality for deaths from external causes, and to some extent also from cardiovascular diseases, but without statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: We find no support for the hypothesis that increasing income inequality explains increasing health inequalities. Possible explanations are that other factors are more important mediators of the effect of education on health, or more simply that income is not an important determinant of mortality in this European context of high-income countries. This study contributes to the discussion on income inequality as entry point to tackle health inequalities. More research is needed to test the common and plausible assumption that increasing income inequality leads to more health inequality, and that one needs to act against the former to avoid the latter.

Time trends in physical activity from 1982 to 2012 in Finland.

The aim of this study was to examine population trends from 1982 to 2012 in Finland for leisure time physical activity (LTPA), commuting physical activity (CPA), occupational physical activity (OPA), and total physical activity. Furthermore, time trends in physical activity by educational levels and body mass index (BMI) categories were explored. Data were collected in independent cross-sectional population surveys, implemented every 5 years from 1982 to 2012. The data comprised 21,903 men and 24,311 women. Participants underwent a health examination and filled in questionnaires. Information on LTPA, CPA, and OPA was used both separately and combined to create an index of total physical activity. Between 1982 and 2012, high LTPA has increased in men (from 21% to 33%) and women (from 12% to 27%). High CPA and high OPA have decreased in men (from 17% to 12% and from 48% to 36%, respectively) and women (from 30% to 20% and from 26% to 21%, respectively). Total physical activity has remained fairly stable. Differences by education and BMI have increased, particularly for LTPA. Marked changes in physical activity have taken place over time. Differences in LTPA and OPA have grown wider across educational groups and BMI categories.

Working with asbestos and the possible health risks.

BACKGROUND: The generic term asbestos refers to a group of crystalline mineral silicates that occur naturally in various forms. Because of their properties of strength, heat and electrical resistance and their ability to withstand corrosion by acids and sea water, asbestos was used extensively both in the UK and worldwide. AIMS: To provide a historical perspective of this ubiquitous occupational hazard, consider the key changes in UK legislation aimed at improving the management of this occupational health risk and describe the evidence from the scientific literature concerning asbestos and disease. METHODS: Original articles, reviews (including reference textbooks) and scientific literature in PubMed and other principal medical science databases, 1960-2014, were searched. Publications by regulatory agencies and by governmental organizations were also considered and included where relevant. RESULTS: Asbestos remains the biggest cause of cancer deaths worldwide. For malignant mesothelioma deaths alone, it is estimated that in the UK, between 2015 and 2020, the number of cases will peak at 2500 cases annually. It is not clear whether there is a safe level of asbestos fibres in air. Evidence for the efficacy of health surveillance is lacking. CONCLUSIONS: Although the use of asbestos was banned in the UK in 1985 (amosite and crocidolite) and 1999 (chrysotile), it remains a significant occupational risk factor for work-related morbidity and mortality, causing both benign and malignant diseases, often with long latency. Further research is needed regarding exposure levels and health surveillance.

Application of a Taxonomy to Characterize the Public Health Workforce.

OBJECTIVE: A public health workforce taxonomy was published in 2014 to provide a standardized mechanism for describing public health worker characteristics. The Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) used 7 of the taxonomy's 12 axes as a basis for its survey response choices, 3 of which are the focus of this analysis. The purpose of this study was to determine the relative utility, reliability, and accuracy of the public health workforce taxonomy in categorizing local and state public health workers using a survey tool. This specifically included the goal of reducing the number of responses classified as "other" occupation, certification, or program area by recoding responses into taxonomy categories and determining potential missing categories for recommendation to the advisory committee that developed the taxonomy. DESIGN: Survey questions associated with the occupation, certification, and program area taxonomy axes yielded qualitative data from respondents who selected "other." The "other" responses were coded by 2 separate research teams at the University of Michigan Center of Excellence in Public Health Workforce Studies and NORC at the University of Chicago. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Researchers assigned taxonomy categories to all analyzable qualitative responses and assessed the percentage of PH WINS responses that could be successfully mapped to taxonomy categories. RESULTS: Between respondent self-selection and research team recoding, the public health workforce taxonomy successfully categorized 95% of occupation responses, 75% of credential responses, and 83% of program area responses. Occupational categories that may be considered for inclusion in the taxonomy in the future include disease intervention specialists and occupations associated with regulation, certification, and licensing. CONCLUSIONS: The public health workforce taxonomy performed remarkably well in categorizing worker characteristics in its first use in a national survey. The analysis provides some recommendations for future taxonomy refinement.

Does life course socio-economic position influence chronic disabling pain in older adults? A general population study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is the leading cause of disability in developed countries. Prevalence is linked with socio-economic position (SEP), but little is known about the influence of SEP on disabling pain over the life course. We have investigated the influence of different life course trajectories of SEP on disabling pain ('pain interference') in postal surveys of adults aged ≥50 years sampled from the general population of adults registered with three UK general practices. METHODS: Current pain interference was measured using the dichotomized 36-item Short-Form (SF-36) health survey. Three recalled SEP measures (age left school, longest job and current/most recent job) were dichotomized into low SEP (left school at or before minimum school leaving age; reported routine or manual occupations) and high SEP, from which eight life course SEP trajectories were constructed. Associations of (i) eight SEP trajectories and (ii) three individual SEP measures adjusted for each other, with pain interference, adjusted for potential confounders, were calculated using logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 2533 individuals provided data on all three SEP measures. A consistently low life course SEP trajectory was significantly associated with current pain interference compared with a high trajectory [odds ratio (OR) = 2.76, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.19-3.47], even after adjustment for age and gender. Further adjustment reduced the association but it remained significant (OR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.55-2.68). In the model with individual measures, low age left school (OR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.15-1.82) and manual longest job (OR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.13-1.91) were independently associated with pain interference. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the potential for reducing chronic disabling pain in later life by addressing inequalities in both childhood education and adult occupational opportunities.