Association between employment stability and depression as moderated by gender among South Korean employees

Research in Asian cultures regarding the association between employment status and health has been limited. The current study investigated the association between depression and employment status in Korea, moderated by gender.

Data from the 2014, 2016, and 2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were analysed. In total, 11,157 participants aged ≥ 19 years responded to the survey. The Korean version of the PHQ-9 was utilised in addition to questions assessing employment status.

Precarious employment indicated a greater prevalence of depression in comparison to permanent employment (14.9% vs 10.8%, p < 0.001; 22.6% vs 20.2%, p < 0.001). Precariously employed men were 1.40 times more likely to have depression (adjusted Odds Ratio (OR): 1.40; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.15-1.70; p= 0.001) while no such association existed among women (adjusted OR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.89-1.27; p= 0.493). The subgroup analyses revealed that men working day shifts in a precarious employment were 1.48 times more likely to be depressed than those with permanent employment. In contrast, precarious employed women working night shifts were 2.13 times more likely to be depressed than those permanently employed counterparts.

Current research did not investigate the causality of the variables hence was unable to identify whether employment instability from precarious engagements preceded the onset of depression.

These findings suggest gender can independently modify the relationship between employment stability and depression, as well as in association with additional variables - including work shift type and income.