Precarious employment and the onset of depressive symptoms and problematic alcohol use in middle-aged or older workers: A Korean longitudinal study (2006–2022)

Abstract

Although precarious employment (PE) has emerged as a growing public health concern, research on older adults is scarce. This study explored the associations between PE and the onset of depressive symptoms and problematic alcohol use among middle-aged and older workers. A total of 2536 Korean waged workers aged ≥45 years contributed 8486 observations from 2006 to 2022. PE was defined as a multidimensional construct that includes employment insecurity, income inadequacy, and a lack of worker rights and protection. Depressive symptoms and problematic alcohol use were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and the CAGE questionnaire. Generalized estimating equations were employed to determine the association of PE with depressive symptoms and problematic alcohol use after the two-year follow-up. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Women, individuals with older age and low educational background, and blue-collar workers were more likely to belong to the high PE group. For individual indicators of PE, daily employment (RR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.05–1.53), the lowest wage quartile (RR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.01–1.72), and lack of trade union (RR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.10–2.17) were positively associated with depressive symptom onset in the follow-up. Compared with the group with the lowest overall PE, the group with the highest PE exhibited increased risks of experiencing the onset of depressive symptoms (RR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.27–2.08) and problematic alcohol use (RR: 2.45, 95% CI: 1.16–5.17) in the follow-up. This study suggests that PE is a major social determinant of older workers’ mental health.