A multidimensional approach to precarious employment: measurement, association with poor mental health and prevalence in the Spanish workforce

Objective: To study the psychometric properties and construct validity of a multidimensional instrument to measure employment precariousness; to assess the association between employment precariousness and poor mental health; to estimate the prevalence and distribution of employment precariousness i...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor: Vives Vergara, Alejandra
Formato: tesis doctoral
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2010
País:España
Recursos:CBUC, CESCA
Repositorio:TDR. Tesis Doctorales en Red
OAI Identifier:oai:www.tdx.cat:10803/31905
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10803/31905
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:precarious employment
employment precariousness
labour market inequalities
poor mental health
empleo precario
precariedad laboral
desigualdades del mercado de trabajo
mala salud mental
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Descrição
Resumo:Objective: To study the psychometric properties and construct validity of a multidimensional instrument to measure employment precariousness; to assess the association between employment precariousness and poor mental health; to estimate the prevalence and distribution of employment precariousness in the Spanish workforce; and to estimate the population attributable fraction of poor mental health due to employment precariousness. Methods: Cross-sectional study using data from the Psychosocial Work Environment Survey conducted in 2004-2005 in Spain. Representative sample of 6968 temporary and permanent workers with a formal work contract. Main results: The Employment Precariousness Scale (EPRES) proved to be an acceptable and psychometrically sound measurement instrument. A high score of employment precariousness was associated with more than double the prevalence of poor mental health than a low score, both in women and men and after adjustments for relevant indicators of social position. More than 45% of the sample was exposed to some degree of precariousness, over 6.5% to high precariousness, with a highly unequal distribution across groups of workers. With due caution, it was estimated that if the observed association were causal, between 11% and 23% of poor mental health in the working population in Spain could be attributable to employment precariousness. Conclusions: Results highlight the relevance of employment precariousness for the mental health of the Spanish workforce. The EPRES is a promising tool for future research.