GENDER, WORK ROLES AND PSYCHOSOCIAL WORK CHARACTERISTICS AS DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

This paper aims to identify gender similarities and differences in psy chosocial work characteristics for those in and out of paid employment , to inform research on possible health-related effects. Specifically five questions are addressed: do women report poorer work characterist ics than men; are gender differences related to specific characteristi cs; do work characteristics differ between full-and part-time women wo rkers and between those in paid and unpaid work; are socio-economic gr adients in work characteristics similar for men and women; and, if the re are gradients, do they differ between women in paid and unpaid work ? Analyses are based on the 33 year follow-up of the 1958 British birt h cohort. Four psychosocial work characteristics were examined: learni ng opportunities, monotony, pace of work, and flexibility of breaks. W omen reported more negative work characteristics than men, primarily b ecause of differences in learning opportunities (26% lacked opportunit y compared with 13% of men) and monotonous work (47 and 31% respective ly). Women in full-time employment reported fewer negative characteris tics (27%) than part-time (39%) or home-workers (36%:. Home-workers ha d fewer opportunities for learning (36%) and greater monotony (49%) th an paid workers (21 and 22% respectively), however fewer home-workers reported inability to control the work pace (11% compared to 23%) and inflexibility of breaks (21% compared to 47%). Socio-economic gradient s in work characteristics were similar among men and women, except for flexibility of break times. A socio-economic gradient in work charact eristics was found for full-and part-rime workers, but not among home- workers. Differences in self reported health were also examined: a soc ial gradient was found for all employment status groups, being stronge st for home-workers despite the abse nce of a gradient in negative wor k characteristics. In conclusion, these marked gender differences in p sychosocial work characteristics need to be considered in future resea rch on work and health. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights rese rved.