Biomaterial Database

Work-life interference and health by race/ethnicity and sex in the United States. 2023

Caryn N Bell

Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, USA. Electronic address: cbell10@tulane.edu.

Work-life interference has detrimental impacts on health outcomes. However, there are potential differences in these associations at the intersection of race/ethnicity and sex. The aim of this study was to examine whether race/ethnicity moderates the associations of work-life interference with health outcomes among women and men. Using data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey on adults (age ≥ 18 years) who self-identified as non-Hispanic Asian, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, or non-Hispanic White in the U.S. (n = 17,492), the associations of work-life interference with self-rated health, psychological distress, and body mass index (BMI) were assessed using multiplicative interaction terms. Work-life interference was associated with higher log-odds of worse self-rated health (log-odds = 0.17, standard error (s.e.) = 0.06) and more psychological distress (β = 1.32, s.e. = 0.13) in men. Work-life interference was similarly positively associated with worse self-rated health (log-odds = 0.27, s.e. = 0.06) and psychological distress (β = 1.39, s.e. = 0.16) among women as well. A stronger association between work-life interference and psychological distress was observed among non-Hispanic Asian women compared to non-Hispanic White women (β = 1.42, s.e. = 0.52) and a stronger association between work-life interference and BMI was observed among non-Hispanic Black women compared to non-Hispanic White women (β = 3.97, s.e. = 1.93). The results suggest detrimental impacts of work-life interference on self-rated health and psychological distress. Yet, the variation in the associations of work-life interference with psychological distress and BMI among women suggest that an intersectional lens should be applied. Efforts to understand and address the negative effects of work-life interference on health should consider potentially unique associations across race/ethnicity and sex.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D001741	Black or African American	A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/1997/10/30/97-28653/revisions-to-the-standards-for-the classification-of-federal-data-on-race-and-ethnicity). In the United States it is used for classification of federal government data on race and ethnicity. Race and ethnicity terms are self-identified social construct and may include terms outdated and offensive in MeSH to assist users who are interested in retrieving comprehensive search results for studies such as in longitudinal studies.	African American,African Americans,African-American,Afro-American,Afro-Americans,Black Americans,Blacks,Negroes,African-Americans,Negro,Afro American,Afro Americans,American, African,American, Black,Black American
D005006	Ethnicity	A group of people with a common cultural heritage that sets them apart from others in a variety of social relationships.	Ethnic Groups,Nationality,Ethnic Group,Nationalities
D005260	Female		Females
D006262	Health	The state of the organism when it functions optimally without evidence of disease.	Individual Health,Normalcy,Normality,Health, Individual,Normalcies,Normalities
D006630	Hispanic or Latino	A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/1997/10/30/97-28653/revisions-to-the-standards-for-the-classification-of-federal-data-on-race-and-ethnicity). In the United States it is used for classification of federal government data on race and ethnicity. Race and ethnicity terms are self-identified social construct and may include terms outdated and offensive in MeSH to assist users who are interested in retrieving comprehensive search results for studies such as in longitudinal studies.	Cuban Americans,Hispanic Americans,Latin Americans, US,Latinas,Latinos,Latinx,Puerto Ricans,Spanish Americans,Hispanics,American, Hispanic,American, US Latin,Cuban American,Hispanic American,Hispanic or Latinos,Latin American, US,Latina,Latino,Puerto Rican,Spanish American,US Latin American,US Latin Americans
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000072358	Work-Life Balance	Complex ongoing balance between a person's working life and private life.	Work-Family Balance,Work-Life Conflict,Life-Work Imbalance,Balance, Work-Family,Balances, Work-Family,Conflict, Work-Life,Conflicts, Work-Life,Work Family Balance,Work Life Conflict,Work-Family Balances,Work-Life Conflicts
D000076782	Race Factors	A constituent element or influence that could be used in studies for racial disparities as variables such as those related to risk factors and disease and or differential access to services.	Racial Factors,Race Factor,Racial Factor
D000079225	Psychological Distress	Negative emotional state characterized by physical and/or emotional discomfort, pain, or anguish.	Emotional Distress,Distress, Emotional,Distress, Psychological