Diversity patterns in non-standard employment and their relationship with self-rated health in urban China from 2010 to 2021.

In recent decades, the rise of non-standard employment in China is thought to profoundly influence workers' health. Using data from the China General Social Survey 2010-2021, this study compares the self-rated health of workers engaged in various non-standard employment types with those in unemployment or standard employment in urban China. The research also investigates how these patterns have evolved over time among urban residents with different hukou types amid the expansion of China's welfare system and labor market shifts. We find that while unemployment is significantly related to worse self-rated health, the effects vary across different types of non-standard employment. Precarious employment has a more substantial adverse effect on health than part-time and self-employment, although the effect is less severe than that of unemployment. Between 2010 and 2018, the health impact of precarious employment declined, aligning with China's enhanced welfare system. However, its negative effect re-emerged in 2021. These patterns are particularly pronounced for urban residents holding agricultural hukou, highlighting the intersection of non-standard employment with the household registration system in shaping health outcomes within evolving labor markets.

Characterization of radial artery perforation patterns using optical coherence tomography.

BACKGROUND: The characterization of radial artery perforation (RAP) patterns using optical coherence tomography (OCT) has not been well established. This study aimed to identify the characteristic RAP patterns in patients diagnosed through post-procedural OCT examination. METHODS: This retrospective study included 1936 consecutive patients who underwent radial artery (RA) OCT following OCT-guided transradial coronary intervention (TRI) from January 2016 to July 2022. Data regarding RAP characteristics were collected through OCT, including the perforation site as well as dimensions such as the length, width, and arc. Furthermore, RAP types were classified as small or large perforations, with a cut-off arc value of ≤90°. RESULTS: RAP, as identified by RA angiography (RAA) during TRI and on post-procedural OCT, was found in 16 out of 1936 patients (0.83 %). RA OCT imaging showed that the median distance between the RA ostium and the perforation site, the perforation length, width, and arc were 30.6 (14.4-42.2) mm, 1.55 (1.03-1.92) mm, 0.74 (0.60-1.14) mm, and 42.5 (25.0-58.1) °, respectively. Small perforations (arc ≤90°) were observed in 14 out of the 16 (87.5 %) patients with RAP. Post-procedural RAA revealed that 15 out of the 16 (93.7 %) patients with RAP had sealed perforations, with the remaining patient requiring external compression. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that RAP is uncommon during TRI, with clearly defined characteristic patterns on OCT. Most RAPs are small and tend to spontaneous seal through catheter tamponade.

Family ideals in an era of low fertility.

Taking stock of individuals' perceived family ideals is particularly important in the current moment given unprecedented fertility declines and the diversification of households in advanced industrial societies. Study participants in urban China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the United States, Italy, Spain, and Norway were asked to evaluate vignettes describing families whose characteristics vary on ten dimensions. In contrast to previous studies that focused on a single dimension, such as fertility ideals or gender roles, this holistic vignette approach identifies the relative importance of each dimension. Multilevel regression analysis reveals both expected and unexpected findings. Parenthood remains a positive ideal, but the number of children does not matter once other family dimensions are considered, a potentially important finding in light of conventional wisdom regarding the two-children ideal. When evaluating families with at least one child, respondents tend to positively evaluate more traditional arrangements, including valuing marriage relative to cohabitation and, particularly, divorce. Also, in addition to financial resources, good communication between immediate and extended family members, as well as maintaining respect in the larger community, are highly salient attributes of an ideal family. Notwithstanding some important cross-national differences, egalitarian gender roles and avoiding work-family conflict are also valued positively. Overall, even as the study reveals some notable variations between societies, respondents across countries identify similar components of an ideal family.

Gig work and mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic: A gendered examination of comparisons with regular employment and unemployment.

The rise of the platform economy during the Covid-19 pandemic has stimulated extensive discussions about whether gig workers can obtain equivalent mental health benefits of regular paid employment. Drawing on nationally representative data in the UK, this study aims to examine (1) whether transitioning from no paid work to gig work during Covid-19 is associated with better or worse mental health compared with those who remained not employed and those who became employed in regular jobs; (2) what mechanisms can explain the mental health differences; (3) how the patterns may differ by gender. The results show that transition into gig work is associated with better mental health compared with those who remained not employed, but this pattern is only for male (rather than female) gig workers and can be largely explained by their better financial situation and lower level of loneliness. For both men and women, the transition into gig work is associated with worse mental health compared with the transition into regular employment, but the mechanisms vary across genders. For male gig workers, both higher levels of financial precarity and loneliness in gig work can explain their mental health disadvantages compared with regular workers, but for female gig workers, none of them is at work. These findings facilitate a better understanding of the health consequences of the gig economy, revealing important gender-differentiated socio-psychological mechanisms through which gig work shapes mental health.

Who Gains Mental Health Benefits from Work Autonomy? The Roles of Gender and Occupational Class.

In recent years, improving work autonomy as an important priority in the UK labour market has been shown to enhance employee mental health and well-being. However, previous theories and empirical studies have paid little attention to the intersectional inequalities in the mental health benefits of work autonomy, preventing us from gaining a comprehensive understanding of the mental consequences of work autonomy. By integrating literature from occupational psychology, gender and social class, this study develops theoretical hypotheses regarding whether and how the mental health benefits of work autonomy vary alongside the intersectional axes of gender and occupational class and tests these hypotheses using long-term panel data in the UK (2010-2021). Overall, we find that those from higher occupational class and male employees acquire significantly more mental health benefits from high work autonomy compared with those from lower occupational class and female employees. Moreover, further analyses show significant intersectional inequalities of gender and occupational class. While male employees from all occupational classes gain significant mental health benefits from work autonomy, only female employees from higher (but not lower) occupational classes benefit from work autonomy. These findings contribute to the literature in the sociology of work by demonstrating the intersectional inequalities in mental health consequences of work autonomy, especially for women in the lower occupational class, highlighting the need for a more gender- and occupation-sensitive design in future labour market policies.

Using machine learning to estimate the incidence rate of intimate partner violence.

It is difficult to accurately estimate the incidence rate of intimate partner violence (IPV) using traditional social survey methods because IPV victims are often reluctant to disclose their experiences, leading to an underestimation of the incidence rate. To address this issue, we applied machine learning algorithms to predict the incidence rate of IPV in China based on data from the Third Wave Survey on the Social Status of Women in China (TWSSSCW 2010). Specifically, we examined five unbalanced sample-processing methods and six machine learning algorithms, choosing the random under-sampling ensemble method and the random forest algorithm to impute the missing data. Analysis of the complete data showed that the incidence rates of physical violence, verbal violence, and cold violence were 7.10%, 13.74%, and 21.35%, respectively, which were higher than the incidence rates in the original dataset (4.05%, 11.21%, and 17.95%, respectively). The robustness of our findings was further confirmed by analysis using different training sets. Overall, this study demonstrates that better tools need to be developed to accurately estimate the incidence rates of IPV. It also serves as a useful guide for future research that imputes missing data using machine learning.

Double Jeopardy: The Roles of Job Autonomy and Spousal Gender Ideology in Employed Women's Mental Health.

Employed women persistently suffer in mental health despite more family-friendly workplaces. The job demand-control theory argues that employed women's mental health depends on their job autonomy, while sociological research on the gender division of household labor locates the cause in how much they are expected by husbands to contribute to housework. The article integrates the two streams of literature by arguing that employed women's job autonomy and their spousal gender ideology interact to shape their mental health. Using nationally representative household-level panel survey and fixed effects models, the study showed that job autonomy improved employed women's mental health, but the benefits depended on their spousal gender ideologies. Specifically, women suffered a "double jeopardy" in mental health when they lacked job autonomy and had traditional husbands. In contrast, when women's husbands had an egalitarian gender ideology, they enjoyed mental health regardless of job autonomy. In addition, women's self-gender ideology did not predict their own or their husbands' mental health. The results point to a societal-level change in men's gender ideology as a fundamental way to improve employed women's family well-being. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11482-022-10090-8.

Early prevention of radial artery occlusion via distal transradial access for primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Conventional transradial access (TRA) has been the preferred access for coronary intervention. Recently, distal radial access (DRA) is introduced as an alternative choice to reduce radial artery occlusion (RAO) risk. The study sought to assess the impact of DRA on early RAO using Doppler ultrasound in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: This is a prospective, single-center, open-label randomized clinical trial in which patients with indications for primary PCI from January 2022 to September 2022 were assigned to DRA or TRA group with 100 cases in each group. The primary endpoint was the incidence of forearm RAO, evaluated by Doppler ultrasound before discharge. Results: The rate of access success was comparable between the DRA and TRA groups (98.0 vs. 94.0%, P = 0.279). Compared with the TRA group, longer puncture time was observed in the DRA group [2.4 (1.7-4.2) min vs. 1.7 (1.4-2.3) min; P < 0.001] whereas the door-to-wire time was not delayed in primary PCI [71 (54-88) min vs. 64 (56-82) min, P = 0.103]. Shorter hemostasis time was required in the DRA group [3.1 (2.7-3.3) h vs. 6.2 (5.9-6.4) h; P < 0.001]. Significant reduction of the incidence of forearm RAO was observed in the DRA group (2.0 vs. 9.0%, P = 0.030). Local hematomas ≤ 5 cm was similar in both groups (4.0 vs. 6.0%, P = 0.516), while those > 5 cm were significantly more frequent in the TRA group (0 vs. 6.0%, P = 0.029). Conclusion: Distal radial access is associated with a comparable lower incidence of forearm RAO, shorter hemostasis time, and lower rate of vascular complications compared to TRA in primary PCI. Systematic review registration: [https://www.chictr.org.cn], identifier [ChiCTR2200061841].

Culprit vessel revascularization first with primary use of a dedicated transradial guiding catheter to reduce door to balloon time in primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: The effect of a single transradial guiding catheter (STGC) for culprit vessel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) first on door-to-balloon (D2B) time remains unclear. Materials and methods: Between February 2017 and July 2019, 560 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were randomized into either the STGC group (n = 280) or the control group (n = 280) according to direct culprit vessel PCI with a STGC. In the STGC group, a dedicated transraidal guiding catheter (6F either MAC3.5 or JL3.5) was used for the treatment of electrocardiogram (ECG)-guided culprit vessel first and later contralateral angiography. In the control group, a universal diagnostic catheter (5F Tiger II) was used for complete coronary angiography, followed by guiding catheter selection for culprit vessel PCI. The primary endpoint was D2B time, and the secondary endpoint included catheterization laboratory door-to-balloon (C2B), procedural, fluoroscopy times, and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 30 days. Results: The median D2B time was significantly shorter in the STGC group compared to the control group (53.9 vs. 58.4 min; p = 0.003). The C2B, procedural, and fluoroscopy times were also shorter in the STGC group (C2B: 17.3 vs. 24.5 min, p < 0.001; procedural: 45.2 vs. 49.0 min, p = 0.012; and fluoroscopy: 9.7 vs. 11.3 min, p = 0.025). More patients achieved the goal of D2B time within 90 min (93.9% vs. 87.1%, p = 0.006) and 60 min (61.4% vs. 51.1%, p = 0.013) in the STGC group. Radial artery perforation (RAP) was significantly reduced in the STGC group compared with the control group (0.7% vs. 3.2%, P = 0.033). MACE at 30 days was similar (2.5% vs. 4.6%, P = 0.172) between the two groups. Conclusion: ECG-guided immediate intervention on culprit vessel with a STGC can reduce D2B, C2B, procedural, and fluoroscopy times (ECG-guided Immediate Primary PCI for Culprit Vessel to Reduce Door to Device Time; NCT03272451).

Early evidence on the mental health of Ukrainian civilian and professional combatants during the Russian invasion.

BACKGROUND: The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has led many Ukrainians to fight for their country, either in the regular army or as civilian members of voluntary territorial defense forces. There is, however, a dearth of knowledge on the mental health of combatants in this conflict. Prior research on the mental health of combatants is unlikely to translate to the situation at hand because such research is focused on combatants fighting abroad and neglects civilian combatants. METHODS: This study provides the first attempt to investigate the mental health of Ukrainian combatants in the regular army and voluntary territorial defense forces by analyzing the prevalence rates of common mental health issues, as well as their demographic and socioeconomic predictors. RESULTS: Between March 19 and 31, 2022, the initial period of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a sample of 178 Ukrainian combatants (104 in the regular army and 74 civilian combatants) participated in a survey on symptoms of anxiety (GAD-2), depression (PHQ-2), and insomnia (ISI). CONCLUSIONS: A sizable portion of Ukrainian combatants reached cut-off levels for clinical symptoms of anxiety (44·4%), depression (43·3%), and insomnia (12·4%). Importantly, the mental health of Ukrainian combatants varied between professional soldiers and civilian combatants, as well as by gender, marital status, by whether or not they were located in Russian-occupied/active-combat areas, and dependent on whether they were personally involved in combat. This study provides early evidence on the mental health of Ukrainian combatants, pointing to their urgent need for mental health assistance in the ongoing war.

Can Volunteering Buffer the Negative Impacts of Unemployment and Economic Inactivity on Mental Health? Longitudinal Evidence from the United Kingdom.

Previous research suggests that volunteering can mitigate the negative mental health impacts of unemployment but has yielded mixed results. This study extends the previous literature by examining whether volunteering can buffer the negative impacts of both unemployment and economic inactivity on mental health. Using nationally representative panel data from the United Kingdom Longitudinal Household Study (2010-2020) and fixed effects models, this study yields three important findings: First, volunteering cannot mitigate the adverse effects of unemployment, regardless of gender. Second, frequent volunteering (at least once per month) can benefit the mental health of economically inactive groups (e.g., family care and long-term sickness). Third, the study reveals the gendered patterns of the impacts of volunteering. Specifically, frequent volunteering can buffer the negative impacts of family care or long-term sickness for men, and the negative impacts of unpaid work for women. Overall, these findings contribute towards a more nuanced understanding of the buffering role of volunteering and its gendered patterns. Policymakers should offer more volunteering opportunities and training to these economically inactive groups to reduce their risk of mental issues.

Exploring the Longitudinal Relationship Between Lockdown Policy Stringency and Public Negative Emotions Among 120 Countries During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mediating Role of Population Mobility.

Background: To limit the spread of COVID-19, governments worldwide have implemented a series of lockdown policies to restrict the social activities of people. Although scholars suggest that such policies may produce negative effects on public emotions, the existing research is limited because it only provides a cross-sectional snapshot of the effect of lockdown policies in small and local samples. Using large-scale longitudinal cross-country data, the current study aims to gain a better understanding of the dynamic effect of lockdown policies on public emotions and their underlying mechanisms. Methods: Drawing on a large-scale longitudinal data from multiple sources, the study employs fixed-effects models to analyze the association between lagged lockdown policy stringency and public negative emotions among 120 countries from February to July 2020 (N = 9,141 country-day observations). The bootstrapping mediation test is used to examine the mediation effects of increased population mobility in residential areas. Results: The results show a statistically significant and positive association between lagged lockdown policy stringency and general public negative emotion (standardized coefficient = 0.32, CI = 0.30-0.35, p < 0.001). This pattern remains similar to other specific negative emotions, such as depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and helplessness. Moreover, the negative health effects of lockdown policy stringency are significantly mediated by increased mobility in residential areas (51-74% points, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings confirm that stringent lockdown policies have a negative effect on public emotions via confining population mobility residential areas. To tackle the COVID-19, future public health policies should pay more attention to the unintended negative consequences of lockdown measures on public emotions.

Demand-side consequences of unemployment and horizontal skill mismatches across national contexts: An employer-based factorial survey experiment.

With growing flexibilization in the labour market, continuous and consistent career trajectories have become less the norm, and workers facing unemployment may need to look for employment opportunities outside the occupation they are trained in. But what are their employment chances? And what are the chances of returning to the occupation they were trained in after having worked in a different occupation? Despite much research on how employers evaluate job candidates with vertical skill mismatches (e.g. over-qualification and under-qualification) and unemployment, there is little research to investigate how employers view horizontal mismatch in comparison to unemployment, and whether a combination of both generates multiplicative negative effects. Using data gathered from an employer survey experiment in Switzerland and Greece, we find that in Switzerland both unemployment and horizontal mismatch significantly reduce employment chances, but the scarring effect of horizontal mismatch is much stronger. In contrast, in Greece horizontal mismatch significantly reduces employment chances but unemployment does not. Furthermore, we found that horizontal mismatch scarring is significantly stronger in Switzerland than in Greece. These findings suggest that the scarring effects of both unemployment and horizontal mismatch vary across contexts. Further analyses show that, rather than experiencing multiplicative scarring effects, unemployment does not add further disadvantages to mismatched candidates in either country, highlighting the importance of occupational specificity of skills in labour market matching. Overall, these findings facilitate a more nuanced understanding of demand-side labour market processes, highlighting the distinct interactive effects of unemployment and horizontal mismatch across national contexts.

Impact of prediabetes and duration of diabetes on radial artery atherosclerosis in acute coronary syndrome patients: An optical coherence tomography study.

BACKGROUND: Prediabetes (PDM) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are common among acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. The present study evaluated the association between diabetes status and radial artery (RA) atherosclerosis using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in ACS patients. METHODS: A total of 335 ACS patients who underwent RA OCT were categorized into the DM group, the PDM group, and the normal glucose metabolism (NGM) group. OCT characteristics and clinical variables were compared. RESULTS: RA atherosclerotic plaques were more frequent in the PDM and DM groups than in the NGM group (38.7% vs. 33.3% vs. 16.1%, p = 0.001). Lipid and calcified plaque occurrence were significantly more common in the DM group, followed by the PDM and NGM groups (19.3% vs. 14.6% vs. 6.5%, p = 0.027; 11.8% vs. 6.5% vs. 1.1%, p = 0.009). The prevalence of microvessels in the PDM group was significantly higher (42.7% vs 23.7%, p = 0.017) than in the NGM group but was comparable to the DM group. Multivariate analysis revealed that HbA1c level and age were independent predictors of RA plaque formation and eccentric intimal hyperplasia (all p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: RA atherosclerosis characteristics differ according to diabetes status. HbA1c level could be a useful marker for RA atherosclerosis progression in ACS patients.

Meta-analytic evidence of depression and anxiety in Eastern Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: To perform a systematic and meta-analysis on the prevalence rates of mental health symptoms including anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in the general population in Eastern Europe, as well as three select sub-populations: students, general healthcare workers, and frontline healthcare workers. Data sources: Studies in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and medRxiv up to 6 February 2021. Eligibility criteria and data analysis: Prevalence rates of mental health symptoms in the general population and key sub-populations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Eastern Europe. Data were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence rates of anxiety and depression. Results: The meta-analysis identifies and includes 21 studies and 26 independent samples in Eastern Europe. Poland (n = 4), Serbia (n = 4), Russia (n = 3), and Croatia (n = 3) had the greatest number of studies. To our knowledge, no studies have been conducted in eleven Eastern European countries including Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The pooled prevalence of anxiety in 18 studies with 22 samples was 30% (95% CI: 24-37%) pooled prevalence of depression in 18 studies with 23 samples was 27% (95% CI: 21-34%). Implications: The cumulative evidence from the meta-analysis reveals high prevalence rates of clinically significant symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in Eastern Europe. The findings suggest evidence of a potential mental health crisis in Eastern Europe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Our synthesis also reveals a relative lack of studies in certain Eastern European countries as well as high heterogeneities among the existing studies, calling for more effort to achieve evidence-based mental healthcare in Eastern Europe.

Objetivo: Realizar un metanálisis sistemático sobre las tasas de prevalencia de síntomas de salud mental, incluidos ansiedad y depresión durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en la población general de Europa del Este, así como en tres subpoblaciones seleccionadas: estudiantes, trabajadores sanitarios generales y trabajadores sanitarios de primera línea.Fuentes de datos: Estudios en PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO y medRxiv hasta el 6 de febrero de 2021.Criterios de elegibilidad y análisis de datos: Tasas de prevalencia de síntomas de salud mental en la población general y subpoblaciones claves durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en Europa del Este. Los datos se combinaron mediante un metanálisis de efectos aleatorios para estimar las tasas de prevalencia de ansiedad y depresión.Resultados: El metanálisis identifica e incluye 21 estudios y 26 muestras independientes en Europa del Este. Polonia (n = 4), Serbia (n = 4), Rusia (n = 3) y Croacia (n = 3) tuvieron el mayor número de estudios. Hasta donde sabemos, no se han realizado estudios en once países de Europa del Este, incluidos Hungría, Eslovaquia y Eslovenia. La prevalencia combinada de ansiedad en 18 estudios con 22 muestras fue de 30% (IC del 95%: 24­37%) y la prevalencia combinada de depresión en 18 estudios con 23 muestras fue de 27% (IC del 95%: 21­34%).Implicaciones: La evidencia acumulada del metanálisis revela altas tasas de prevalencia de síntomas clínicamente significativos durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en Europa del Este. Los hallazgos sugieren evidencia de una posible crisis de salud mental en Europa del Este durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en curso. Nuestra síntesis también revela una relativa falta de estudios en ciertos países de Europa del Este, así como una gran heterogeneidad entre los estudios existentes, lo que exige un mayor esfuerzo para lograr una atención de la salud mental basada en la evidencia en Europa del Este.

Do work-family initiatives improve employee mental health? Longitudinal evidence from a nationally representative cohort.

BACKGROUND: Work stress and work-family conflict are important correlates of affective disorders. The article explored (1) whether the wide adoption of work-family initiatives improve a national workforce's mental health; (2) whether the potential benefits differ between the initiatives that give employees autonomy over job quality (flexible schedule and telework) or job quantity (work hours); (3) whether the effects depend on employee's perceived availability or actual usage of the initiatives, and if so, what are the respective mechanisms; and (4) whether there are gender differences in the mental health effects. METHODS: Fixed-effects analyses of five-wave panel surveys from 2010 to 2020 on a probability sample of 34,484 British workers, which measured mental health with the GHQ-12 scale. Job satisfaction and leisure time satisfaction were tested as mediators. RESULTS: Perceived availability of work-family initiatives improved men and women's mental health by increasing their job satisfaction. Actual usage of work-family initiatives improved women's, but not men's, mental health by increasing their job satisfaction and leisure time satisfaction. The mental health benefits of flexible schedule and telework initiatives are larger than reduced work hours initiatives. LIMITATIONS: The exploratory study used a broad mental health outcome and did not measure work-family initiatives' effects on specific affective disorders such as anxiety and depression. The study could not eliminate time-varying confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Actual and perceived job quality are important in workplace mental health promotion. Organizational leaders and policymakers can offer flexible work time and place to reduce work-family conflict and prevent employees' affective disorders.

Family Policy Awareness and Marital Intentions: A National Survey Experimental Study.

Despite extensively examining the effects of family policies on marriage and fertility rates, previous research has paid little attention to the process of policy implementation and has implicitly assumed that individuals are fully aware of the policy information when making marital and fertility decisions. Challenging this assumption, we theorize policy awareness as an important mechanism for understanding the potential influence of family policies on individuals' marital intentions, an understudied yet crucial determinant of family formation behavior. In an experiment using a national survey of young unmarried individuals in Japan, respondents were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The treatment group was informed about 17 Japanese family policy benefits, but most of the respondents knew none or only a few of these benefits. After exposure to the policy information, the treatment group had significantly higher marital intentions than the control group, which had similar baseline characteristics but no information exposure. Crucially, such positive effects were particularly pronounced among high-educated women and high- and low-educated men, reflecting the differentiated effects of policy awareness under Japan's traditional gender role norms. Overall, these findings highlight the pivotal role of policy awareness during the family formation process and contribute to the debate over whether and how family policies may influence different subpopulations.

National survey of mental health and life satisfaction of gig workers: the role of loneliness and financial precarity.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the mental health and life satisfaction of those employed in the gig work and contingent work with those in full-time or part-time work and the unemployed in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. To explore the possible mechanisms of latent and manifest benefits of employment, such as financial precarity and loneliness. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS: A representative sample of 17 722 employed and unemployed British adults, including 429 gig workers. People with disability, retirees and full-time students are not included in the sample. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mental health (General Health Questionnaire-12 score) and life satisfaction (a direct question from UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS)) as outcomes. Self-reported loneliness (four widely used questions from UKHLS) and financial precarity (a direct question from UKHLS) as mediators. RESULTS: Gig workers reported mental health and life satisfaction worse than those employed full time and part time, but better than the unemployed. Mediation analyses showed that gig workers' worse mental health and life satisfaction than other workers were explained by their higher levels of loneliness and financial precarity, while gig workers' better mental health and life satisfaction than the unemployed were explained by their less financial precarity. CONCLUSIONS: Informal and freelance economy provided manifest benefits of employment to gig workers compared with unemployment but lacked latent benefits of employment. Public policies should provide social support to freelance and contingent workers to reduce their loneliness and improve their psychological well-being, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public and Commercial Medical Insurance Enrollment Rates of Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China.

Objectives: Large-scale rural-to-urban migration of China has provoked heated discussion about the health of migrants and whether they have equal access to the health resources. This article aimed to compare the public and commercial medical insurance enrollment rates between temporary, permanent migrants and urban natives. Methods: Average marginal effects (AME) of the weighted logistic regression models using 2017 China General Social Survey from 2,068 urban natives, 1,285 temporary migrants, and 1,295 permanent migrants. Results: After controlling for the demographic and socio-economic characteristics, our results show that while the temporary and permanent migrants have a similar public insurance enrollment rate compared with the urban natives, both temporary and permanent migrants have significantly lower commercial insurance enrollment rates (7.5 and 5.3%, respectively) compared with the urban natives. Conclusions: The results highlight significant institutional barriers preventing the temporary migrants from gaining access to public medical insurance and the adverse impact of disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds on the access of temporary migrants to both public and commercial insurance.

Hand Hygiene and Mask-Wearing Practices during COVID-19 among Healthcare Workers: Misinformation as a Predictor.

Poor public health information is a hurdle in infectious disease control. The study aims to examine whether healthcare workers adhere to hand hygiene and mask-wearing guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore their exposure to misinformation about the pandemic as a predictor. A cross-sectional survey was sent to 518 healthcare workers across Indonesia, the fourth largest nation in the world, in September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The respondents reported whether they adhered to the guidelines of hand hygiene and mask wearing and whether they believed in four pieces of misinformation about the origin, severity, contagion, and prevention of COVID-19. The association between misinformation and hand hygiene and mask wearing was tested with logistic regression models controlling for demographic and health-related covariates. Approximately 25% of healthcare workers did not always adhere to hand hygiene guidelines and approximately 5% did not adhere to mask-wearing guidelines. There are significant associations between all four pieces of misinformation and hand hygiene and mask wearing. It is important to improve public health information about COVID-19, which may hold key to healthcare workers' hand hygiene and mask wearing and to protect their health and patients' safety.