IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v372y2025ics0277953625002400.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effort-reward imbalance and problem drinking among workers: Differences in gender and the gender composition of industries and main job activities in a prospective cohort study from Sweden

Author

Listed:
  • Mensah, Aziz
  • Nyberg, Anna
  • Wennberg, Peter
  • Toivanen, Susanna

Abstract

Effort-reward imbalance (ERI) is a form of psychosocial work stress known to contribute to health problems among working populations. Given that men and women tend to work in different industries and job activities, the labour market remains gender segregated. This study investigated the relationships between effort, reward, ERI, overcommitment and problem drinking in a sample of the Swedish working population over time and simultaneously explored whether these relationships differ by gender and the gender composition of industries and main job activities. Data were drawn from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health, collected biennially from 2010 to 2022, comprising 18 017 workers. Work stress and problem drinking were measured with the ERI questionnaire and the Cut-down-Annoyed-Guilty-Eye opener instrument, respectively. A logistic-generalised estimating equation was used to perform the analysis. The results showed that higher scores of all the components of the ERI–model are significantly associated with problem drinking (p<0.01). However, these associations did not significantly differ by gender and the gender composition of industries and main job activities (p>0.10). Also, overcommitment did not significantly moderate the association between ERI and problem drinking (p>0.10). Our findings demonstrated that all the components of the ERI–model contribute to problem drinking in working populations and highlight the need for organisations and stakeholders to consider gender as a social structure when developing strategies and interventions aimed at improving work stress and reducing problem drinking.

Suggested Citation

  • Mensah, Aziz & Nyberg, Anna & Wennberg, Peter & Toivanen, Susanna, 2025. "Effort-reward imbalance and problem drinking among workers: Differences in gender and the gender composition of industries and main job activities in a prospective cohort study from Sweden," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 372(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:372:y:2025:i:c:s0277953625002400
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117911
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953625002400
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117911?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Li, Jian & Yang, Wenjie & Cho, Sung-il, 2006. "Gender differences in job strain, effort-reward imbalance, and health functioning among Chinese physicians," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(5), pages 1066-1077, March.
    2. Victoria Blom & Lena V. Kallings & Björn Ekblom & Peter Wallin & Gunnar Andersson & Erik Hemmingsson & Örjan Ekblom & Jonas Söderling & Elin Ekblom Bak, 2020. "Self-Reported General Health, Overall and Work-Related Stress, Loneliness, and Sleeping Problems in 335,625 Swedish Adults from 2000 to 2016," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-11, January.
    3. Johannes Siegrist & Jian Li, 2016. "Associations of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Components of Work Stress with Health: A Systematic Review of Evidence on the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-14, April.
    4. James Cui, 2007. "QIC program and model selection in GEE analyses," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 7(2), pages 209-220, June.
    5. Mensah, Aziz & Toivanen, Susanna & Diewald, Martin & Ul Hassan, Mahmood & Nyberg, Anna, 2022. "Workplace gender harassment, illegitimate tasks, and poor mental health: Hypothesized associations in a Swedish cohort," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 315(C).
    6. Huy Nguyen Van & Mai Dinh Le & Thanh Nguyen Van & Dung Nguyen Ngoc & Anh Tran Thi Ngoc & Phuong Nguyen The, 2018. "A systematic review of effort‐reward imbalance among health workers," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(3), pages 674-695, July.
    7. Siegrist, Johannes & Starke, Dagmar & Chandola, Tarani & Godin, Isabelle & Marmot, Michael & Niedhammer, Isabelle & Peter, Richard, 2004. "The measurement of effort-reward imbalance at work: European comparisons," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 58(8), pages 1483-1499, April.
    8. Silke Tophoven & Jean-Baptist du Prel & Richard Peter & Veronika Kretschmer, 2015. "Working in gender-dominated occupations and depressive symptoms: findings from the two age cohorts of the lidA study [Geschlechterdominierte Berufe und Depressivität: Ergebnisse zu den zwei Altersk," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 48(3), pages 247-262, October.
    9. Aziz Mensah, 2021. "Job Stress and Mental Well-Being among Working Men and Women in Europe: The Mediating Role of Social Support," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-18, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Liza Jachens & Jonathan Houdmont, 2019. "Effort-Reward Imbalance and Job Strain: A Composite Indicator Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-9, October.
    2. Keisuke Kokubun, 2024. "Effort–Reward Imbalance and Passion Exploitation: A Narrative Review and a New Perspective," World, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Reingard Seibt & Steffi Kreuzfeld, 2021. "Influence of Work-Related and Personal Characteristics on the Burnout Risk among Full- and Part-Time Teachers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-17, February.
    4. Rupkatha Bardhan & Karen Heaton & Melissa Davis & Peter Chen & Dale A. Dickinson & Claudiu T. Lungu, 2019. "A Cross Sectional Study Evaluating Psychosocial Job Stress and Health Risk in Emergency Department Nurses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-17, September.
    5. Zongyu Liu & Liangyu Zhao & Shuzhen Wang & Yubo Gao & Liguo Zhang, 2022. "The Association between Occupational Stress and Mental Health among Chinese Soccer Referees in the Early Stage of Reopening Soccer Matches during the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak: A Moderated Mediation ," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-16, December.
    6. Oliver Weigelt & J. Charlotte Seidel & Lucy Erber & Johannes Wendsche & Yasemin Z. Varol & Gerald M. Weiher & Petra Gierer & Claudia Sciannimanica & Richard Janzen & Christine J. Syrek, 2023. "Too Committed to Switch Off—Capturing and Organizing the Full Range of Work-Related Rumination from Detachment to Overcommitment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-29, February.
    7. Shimazu, Akihito & de Jonge, Jan, 2009. "Reciprocal relations between effort-reward imbalance at work and adverse health: A three-wave panel survey," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 60-68, January.
    8. Tânia Maria de Araújo & Johannes Siegrist & Arlinda B. Moreno & Maria de Jesus Mendes da Fonseca & Sandhi M. Barreto & Dóra Chor & Rosane Härter Griep, 2019. "Effort-Reward Imbalance, Over-Commitment and Depressive Episodes at Work: Evidence from the ELSA-Brasil Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-13, August.
    9. Siegrist, Johannes & Shackelton, Rebecca & Link, Carol & Marceau, Lisa & von dem Knesebeck, Olaf & McKinlay, John, 2010. "Work stress of primary care physicians in the US, UK and German health care systems," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 298-304, July.
    10. Silke Tophoven & Jean-Baptist du Prel & Richard Peter & Veronika Kretschmer, 2015. "Working in gender-dominated occupations and depressive symptoms: findings from the two age cohorts of the lidA study [Geschlechterdominierte Berufe und Depressivität: Ergebnisse zu den zwei Altersk," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 48(3), pages 247-262, October.
    11. René Riedl & Christian Oettl & Fabian J. Stangl & Alan R. Hevner, 2025. "How an Agile Software Process Increases Developers’ Job Satisfaction: A Stress Perspective Based on the Effort-Reward-Imbalance Model," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 67(1), pages 83-107, February.
    12. Lu Lu & Li Liu & Guoyuan Sui & Lie Wang, 2015. "The Associations of Job Stress and Organizational Identification with Job Satisfaction among Chinese Police Officers: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-12, November.
    13. Aurora B. Le & Abas Shkembi & Anna C. Sturgis & Anupon Tadee & Shawn G. Gibbs & Richard L. Neitzel, 2022. "Effort–Reward Imbalance among a Sample of Formal US Solid Waste Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-12, June.
    14. Nektaria Nicolakakis & Maude Lafantaisie & Marie-Claude Letellier & Caroline Biron & Michel Vézina & Nathalie Jauvin & Maryline Vivion & Mariève Pelletier, 2022. "Are Organizational Interventions Effective in Protecting Healthcare Worker Mental Health during Epidemics/Pandemics? A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-18, August.
    15. Liebig, Stefan & Schupp, Jürgen, 2008. "Leistungs- oder Bedarfsgerechtigkeit? Über einen normativen Zielkonflikt des Wohlfahrtsstaats und seiner Bedeutung für die Bewertung des eigenen Erwerbseinkommens," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 59(1), pages 7-30.
    16. Anna Rogozińska-Pawełczyk, 2023. "Inclusive Leadership and Psychological Contract Fulfilment: A Source of Proactivity and Well-Being for Knowledge Workers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-16, July.
    17. Hassan, Mahmoud & Oueslati, Walid & Rousselière, Damien, 2020. "Environmental taxes, reforms and economic growth: an empirical analysis of panel data," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 44(3).
    18. Mandy Schult & Verena Tobsch, 2012. "Freizeitstress: wenn die Arbeit ständig ruft," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 485, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    19. Jean-Baptist du Prel & Johannes Siegrist & Daniela Borchart, 2019. "The Role of Leisure-Time Physical Activity in the Change of Work-Related Stress (ERI) over Time," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-9, December.
    20. Bozana Arapovic-Johansson & Charlotte Wåhlin & Jan Hagberg & Lydia Kwak & Iben Axén & Christina Björklund & Irene Jensen, 2020. "Experience of Stress Assessed by Text Messages and Its Association with Objective Workload—A Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-19, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:372:y:2025:i:c:s0277953625002400. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.