Abstract
Recent epidemiologic research has shown that people with higher socioeconomic status (SES) (e.g., educational attainment) have better psychological health than those with lower SES. However, the psychosocial mechanisms of underlying this relationship remain unclear. To fill this gap, the current study examines the mediating effects of job demands and job resources in the relationship between educational attainment and psychological distress. The hypothesized model was tested using large data sets from two different studies: a cross-sectional study of 9,652 Japanese employees from 12 workplaces (Study 1), and a longitudinal study of 1,957 Japanese employees (Study 2). Structural equation modeling revealed that (1) educational attainment was positively related to psychological distress through job demands, (2) educational attainment was negatively related to psychological distress through job resources, and (3) educational attainment was not directly related to psychological distress. These results suggest that educational attainment has an indirect effect, rather than a direct one, on psychological distress among workers; educational attainment had both a positive and a negative relationship to psychological distress through job demands and job resources, respectively.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 472-481 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Industrial Health |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 Nov 12 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Educational attainment
- Job demands
- Job demands-resources model
- Job resources
- Mediator
- Psychological distress
- Social inequity
- Socioeconomic status
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Cite this
Psychosocial mechanisms of psychological health disparity in Japanese workers. / Shimazu, Akihito; Kawakami, Norito; Kubota, Kazumi; Inoue, Akiomi; Kurioka, Sumiko; Miyaki, Koichi; Takahashi, Masaya; Tsutsumi, Akizumi.
In: Industrial Health, Vol. 51, No. 5, 12.11.2013, p. 472-481.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Psychosocial mechanisms of psychological health disparity in Japanese workers
AU - Shimazu, Akihito
AU - Kawakami, Norito
AU - Kubota, Kazumi
AU - Inoue, Akiomi
AU - Kurioka, Sumiko
AU - Miyaki, Koichi
AU - Takahashi, Masaya
AU - Tsutsumi, Akizumi
PY - 2013/11/12
Y1 - 2013/11/12
N2 - Recent epidemiologic research has shown that people with higher socioeconomic status (SES) (e.g., educational attainment) have better psychological health than those with lower SES. However, the psychosocial mechanisms of underlying this relationship remain unclear. To fill this gap, the current study examines the mediating effects of job demands and job resources in the relationship between educational attainment and psychological distress. The hypothesized model was tested using large data sets from two different studies: a cross-sectional study of 9,652 Japanese employees from 12 workplaces (Study 1), and a longitudinal study of 1,957 Japanese employees (Study 2). Structural equation modeling revealed that (1) educational attainment was positively related to psychological distress through job demands, (2) educational attainment was negatively related to psychological distress through job resources, and (3) educational attainment was not directly related to psychological distress. These results suggest that educational attainment has an indirect effect, rather than a direct one, on psychological distress among workers; educational attainment had both a positive and a negative relationship to psychological distress through job demands and job resources, respectively.
AB - Recent epidemiologic research has shown that people with higher socioeconomic status (SES) (e.g., educational attainment) have better psychological health than those with lower SES. However, the psychosocial mechanisms of underlying this relationship remain unclear. To fill this gap, the current study examines the mediating effects of job demands and job resources in the relationship between educational attainment and psychological distress. The hypothesized model was tested using large data sets from two different studies: a cross-sectional study of 9,652 Japanese employees from 12 workplaces (Study 1), and a longitudinal study of 1,957 Japanese employees (Study 2). Structural equation modeling revealed that (1) educational attainment was positively related to psychological distress through job demands, (2) educational attainment was negatively related to psychological distress through job resources, and (3) educational attainment was not directly related to psychological distress. These results suggest that educational attainment has an indirect effect, rather than a direct one, on psychological distress among workers; educational attainment had both a positive and a negative relationship to psychological distress through job demands and job resources, respectively.
KW - Educational attainment
KW - Job demands
KW - Job demands-resources model
KW - Job resources
KW - Mediator
KW - Psychological distress
KW - Social inequity
KW - Socioeconomic status
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84887192029&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84887192029&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2486/indhealth.2013-0038
DO - 10.2486/indhealth.2013-0038
M3 - Article
C2 - 23892903
AN - SCOPUS:84887192029
VL - 51
SP - 472
EP - 481
JO - Industrial Health
JF - Industrial Health
SN - 0019-8366
IS - 5
ER -