Employment Precariousness and Poor Mental Health: Evidence from Spain on a New Social Determinant of Health
Table 2
Prevalence of poor mental healtha (percentage and 95% CI) according to age, immigrant status, educational attainment, occupational social class, and unemployment the preceding year. Waged and salaried women and men, Spain 2004-05.
Women
Men
%
(95% CI)
%
(95% CI)
All
22.5
(20.9–24.1)
29.4
(27.8–31.0)
P value
0.000
Age group
16–24 years
19.8
(15.0–24.5)
26.1
(20.6–31.5)
25–34 years
26.8
(24.0–29.6)
27.2
(24.2–30.2)
35–44 years
21.1
(18.4–23.9)
29.8
(26.9–32.7)
45–54 years
19.9
(16.2–23.5)
32.5
(29.0–36.1)
55–65 years
15.6
(9.4–21.7)
30.1
(24.1–36.1)
p linear trend
0.010
0.026
Immigrant status
Spanish
21.9
(21.9–41.4)
29.1
(27.4–30.8)
Immigrant
33.1
(33.1–47.2)
32.7
(26.3–39.1)
P value
0.001
0.279
Educational attainment
Primary or less
25.1
(22.1–28.2)
32.7
(30.0–35.5)
Secondary
22.6
(19.6–25.5)
30.1
(27.0–33.2)
Trade school
18.7
(15.0–22.4)
21.7
(17.9–25.5)
University
21.9
(18.9–25.0)
27.9
(24.2–31.6)
p linear trend
0.008
0.029
Occupational social class
SC I + II
20.1
(16.5–23.6)
27.7
(23.7–31.7)
SC III
19.7
(16.8–22.6)
25.1
(21.6–28.7)
SC IV + V
24.7
(22.5–26.9)
31.1
(29.0–33.2)
p linear trend
0.010
0.014
Unemployment preceding year
No
20.8
(19.2–22.4)
28.3
(26.6–30.0)
Yes
39.8
(33.6–46.1)
46.3
(38.9–53.7)
P value
0.000
0.000
Quintiles employment precariousness
0.00–0.61
14.3
(11.3–17.3)
23.9
(20.8–27.0)
0.62–0.85
14.3
(11.4–17.3)
23.3
(20.2–26.5)
0.86–1.12
19.7
(16.4–23.0)
29.0
(25.4–32.5)
1.13–1.55
26.1
(22.5–29.7)
30.0
(26.1–34.0)
1.56–4.0
39.5
(35.2–43.9)
50.9
(45.9–56.0)
p linear trend
0.000
0.000
mental health was defined according to the Spanish reference norm as a score below the 25th percentile for the individual’s sex and age (18–24; 25–34; 35–44; 45–54; and 55–64 years). Cut-off scores for women were 60, 63.2, 60, 56, and 52, respectively. Cut-off scores for men were 68, 68, 68, 68, and 64, respectively. Subjects aged 16 or 17 () were assigned the reference value of the 18–24 age group; respondents aged 65 () were assigned the reference value of the 55–64 age group. CI: confidence interval.