Abstract
Workers may sometimes do the same work, but differ in their risk of health-related problems depending on whether the employment type is standard or non-standard. Furthermore, even with similar job and employment types, there may be differences in risk factors for health-related problems depending on sex. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) by employment type and sex using data from the Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES Ⅴ) (2010–2012) and KNHANES Ⅵ (2013–2015) conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, 9523 adult wage workers (5523 standard workers and 4000 non-standard workers) aged ≥ 19 years were analyzed. To determine MetS prevalence odds ratios according to employment type, logistic regression analysis was performed disaggregated by sex. The prevalence of MetS significantly increased with age (p < 0.001), being married (p < 0.05), current smoking status (p < 0.05), and high-risk drinking (p < 0.001) among male subjects. The prevalence of MetS significantly increased among female manual workers (p < 0.001), those with lower educational level and household income (p < 0.001). Non-standard workers of either sex showed higher MetS prevalence than standard workers; only females showed significant difference (p < 0.001). Female non-standard workers showed 1.44, 1.33, and 1.34 (all p < 0.001) times higher odds of MetS prevalence in Models 1, 2, and 3, respectively, compared to standard workers, suggesting a difference in risk factors of MetS according to sex. Also, that employment type affects MetS prevalence suggests that employment pattern is an important risk factor especially in females. Therefore, to manage MetS in female non-standard workers, individual health care as well as social effort may be necessary.
Highlights
Since the 2008 financial crisis, economic uncertainty has persisted throughout the world and this has resulted in continual job instability [1]
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) differed significantly according to age and sex and seemed to increase significantly, for both sexes, with increasing age (p < 0.001)
MetS among them than office workers [36]. These results suggest that male workers have higher socioeconomic status than female workers, and that the type of work and their lifestyle are important factors for MetS prevalence
Summary
Since the 2008 financial crisis, economic uncertainty has persisted throughout the world and this has resulted in continual job instability [1]. In Korea, unstable jobs such as non-standard employment began to emerge during the International Monetary Fund (IMF) economic crisis in 1997, and this trend has continued to this day [2]. Non-standard workers are mostly employed under working conditions with low wage levels and are treated differently regarding wages, including incentives and welfare benefits [3]. Many non-standard workers have more than one job due to the low wages, and work during the weekend or late [4]. Irregular lifestyle, and high risk of job stress exposure among non-standard workers seriously threatens their health and safety [4,5]. Long working hours or high occupational stress cause short-term problems such as stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, smoking, excessive drinking, and lack of exercise, leading to long-term problems such as digestive
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