Blue-collar work and women's health: A systematic review of the evidence from 1990 to 2015

Abstract

Despite the implications of gender and sex differences for health risks associated with blue-collar work, adverse health outcomes among blue-collar workers has been most frequently studied among men. The present study provides a “state-of-the-field” systematic review of the empiric evidence published on blue-collar women's health. We systematically reviewed literature related to the health of blue-collar women published between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 2015. We limited our review to peer-reviewed studies published in the English language on the health or health behaviors of women who were presently working or had previously worked in a blue-collar job. Studies were eligible for inclusion regardless of the number, age, or geographic region of blue-collar women in the study sample. We retained 177 studies that considered a wide range of health outcomes in study populations from 40 different countries. Overall, these studies suggested inferior health among female blue-collar workers as compared with either blue-collar males or other women. However, we noted several methodological limitations in addition to heterogeneity in study context and design, which inhibited comparison of results across publications. Methodological limitations of the extant literature, alongside the rapidly changing nature of women in the workplace, motivate further study on the health of blue-collar women. Efforts to identify specific mechanisms by which blue-collar work predisposes women to adverse health may be particularly valuable in informing future workplace-based and policy-level interventions.

Multilevel power dynamics shaping employer anti-sexual harassment efforts in Lebanon

“…In this way, we see strong South–South power over influences such that migrant workers are not identified as women who would benefit from any changes in laws relating to SH. Similar findings have been found in research on poor, blue collar or otherwise particularly vulnerable female workers (see Campbell Quick and McFadye, 2017; Elser et al , 2018). Indeed, in the workshop discussing possible integration of anti-SH policies into the labor codes, there was a heated interaction about domestic workers.…”

Florida neighborhood analysis of social determinants and their relationship to life expectancy

“…Relatedly, employment has a strong relationship to health outcomes. The intersection of employment with education, income, housing, health care, and insurance coverage along with its disproportionate impact on different racial and gender groups has been highlighted in multiple studies [33,34]. Singh and Siahpush [26] suggest the unemployment rate in a particular place reflects social and economic inequalities and drives disparate longevity rates and risky behaviors [26].…”

“…Persons employed in low-skilled service occupations such as childcare, customer service, and housekeeping may be susceptible to negative health impacts from low wages and work-related stress. A meta-analysis suggests blue collar women suffer more pain and work-related injuries than blue collar men or white-collar females [34]. Employment was represented by the proportion of people employed in service (QSERV) or extraction jobs (QEXTRCT), females over 16 in the labor force (QFEMLBR), and civilian labor force's unemployment percentage (QCVLUN).…”

A meta-analysis of the association between physical demands of unpaid domestic work and back pain among women

“…Previous meta-analyses of the relationship between non-occupational physical activities (such as sporting, commuting and domestic physical activities) and BP combined results from different types of non-occupational physical activities and did not present strati ed results from domestic work demands [33,35]. Some of these reviews were also limited to studies published in English [33,36].…”