health and the workplace

iwin's research on health and the workplace research is an emerging area with a particular emphasis on the relationship between quality employment and employee health outcomes. Studies conducted to date have analyzed data from a national representative survey of U.S. workers to explore relationships between job conditions and self-reported health.

recent projects include:
quality jobs: flexibility for working families
job quality and depression for low-wage workers

quality jobs in the new millennium: incorporating flexible work options as a strategy to assist working families

Principal Investigator: Jennifer Swanberg, Ph.D., UK iwin
Co-Principal Investigator: Leigh Ann Simmons, Ph.D., UK

This study seeks to explore the model of job quality in relation to the employees’ self perceived physical health status. The study concludes that when demographic and other job quality variables are controlled, flexible work options, coworker support, and employment insecurity are major predictors of the employees’ self‐reported health status.

This project was supported with a grant from the UK Center for Poverty Research through the Department of Health and Human Services. For more information, please contact Dr. Jennifer Swanberg

working poor blues: job quality and depression among low-wage workers in the united states

Principal Investigator: Leigh Ann Simmons, Ph.D. UK
Co-Principal Investigator: Jennifer Swanberg, Ph.D. UK iwin

This study examines the job quality factors associated with mental health status for wage and salaried workers in the U.S. Results show that low psychological demands, high flexibility, high coworker support, and low job insecurity were associated with better mental health, and that individuals who were working poor and job insecure were more likely to have poor mental health.

This project was supported with a grant from the UK Center for Poverty Research through the Department of Health and Human Services. For more infomation contact Dr. Jennifer Swanberg.

on the horizon

iwin is currently conducting a literature review on the psychosocial aspects of workplace organizational culture. Early analysis shows that supervisor support and leadership practices impact employee stress and well-being.  In this review we will focus on the relationship between organizational culture  and its relationship to employee health.