The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #40019

Carles Muntaner, MD PhD¹, Jeanne Geiger Brown, RN, PhD¹, Joan Benach, MD, PhD², and Marcelo Amable, MA². (1) Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland, 655 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, 410-7060889, muntaner@son.umaryland.edu, (2) Departament de Ciencies de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, carrrer Aiguader 80, Barcelona, 08003, Spain

Little attention has been given to date to the relation between work >organization and mental health among low-income workers in the health care >sector of the economy. We examine the association between the economic >(e.g., ownership type), political (managerial domination, worker autonomy) >and cultural (organizational climate, co-worker support) characteristics of >work organization and depressive symptoms in a sample of nurse assistants. >Using union "dues lists" as sampling frame, a sample of 473 nurse assistants >was obtained from a population of working unionized nurse assistants in Ohio >and West Virginia. In orther to reduce methods variance, organizational >variables were measured with union records, key informants and government >data. Among other findings, we observed an association between for-profit >ownership (OR=2.3, 95% C.I.=1.5-3.6), managerial domination >(OR=2.2;C.I.=1.3-3.5), high emotional demands (OR=1.3, 95% C.I.=1.1-1.5) and >depressive symptoms. Overall, these findings suggest that health policies >aimed at changing the economic and managerial structure of long term care >facilities may improve both the mental health of workers and the quality of >care experienced by residents.

Learning Objectives:

• 1 participants learn the role of political and economic aspects of organizations that may affect the health of long term care workers
• 2participants will be able to recognize the importance of political and economic factors in long term care as pertains to the health and wellbeing of workers
• 3 at the end of the session the participant will be able to
• 1- list 3 political or economic organizational factors in long term care that may affect worker's mental health
• 2- identify organizational political and economic factors in long term care that may contribute to worker illness
• 3- analyze situations where organizational political and economic factors ned to be addressed to improve health care worker health.

Keywords: Health Care Politics, Social Class

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.