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Table 3 Sample characteristics at baselinea

From: Psychological distress is more common in some occupations and increases with job tenure: a thirty-seven year panel study in the United States

 

Unweighted

Weighted

Measure

%

(SD)

 

%

LB

UB

 

“Distress” (any of the following)

12.5

  

11.4

10.2

12.5

 

 Anxiety or depression diagnosis

3.7

  

4.8

4.1

5.4

 

 Psychological distress (K6)

8.6

  

6.8

5.8

7.8

 

High risk occupation ≥ 10 years

7.7

  

9.0

8.0

10.0

 

High risk occupation current

35.1

  

31.5

30.2

32.8

 

Age in years, mean

43.4

(13.6)

 

40.1

39.6

40.6

 

Rural resident

5.9

  

6.9

5.4

8.4

 

Midlife obesity

18.5

  

15.5

14.2

16.9

 

Midlife sedentary

13.8

  

6.8

5.8

7.7

 

Education

       

 < High school

13.6

  

10.8

9.4

12.2

 

 GED

7.6

  

6.3

5.5

7.2

 

 High school diploma

61.7

  

48.1

46.3

49.9

 

 Associate’s degree

7.8

  

8.0

7.4

8.7

 

 Bachelor’s degree

18.8

  

21.5

19.8

23.3

 

 Master’s degree or higher

8.0

  

9.9

8.7

11.0

 

Income-to-need ratio, mean

7.7

(24.0)

 

8.4

7.5

9.2

 

African American

31.1

  

13.2

10.0

16.4

 

Hispanic

3.6

  

5.8

4.4

7.2

 

Race, other

5.1

  

3.6

2.9

4.3

 

White

60.1

  

77.4

73.5

81.2

 

Female

50.9

  

51.3

49.7

52.9

 

Married or partner

51.9

  

53.5

51.3

55.6

 

Widowed, past 3 years

5.4

  

4.6

3.8

5.5

 

Divorced, past 3 years

4.1

  

6.6

5.7

7.5

 

Child with developmental disability

1.4

  

1.6

1.3

2.0

 

Family member in poor health

6.9

  

6.8

4.8

8.7

 

Unemployment ≥ 1 month

6.1

  

5.2

4.3

6.1

 

Childhood fair/poor health

8.2

  

8.2

7.4

9.1

 
  1. aData source: Panel Study of Income Dynamics, 2003–2017 (n = 24,789); occupation measured 1981–2017. Weighted results adjusted for sampling design (PSID over-samples African Americans). SD = standard deviation (shown for continuous variables). LB, UB = lower and upper bounds of the 95% confidence interval. Income-to-need ratio = ratio of family income to Census needs standard (poverty threshold). K6 = Screening Scale for Psychological Distress (Kessler K6). The baseline for a given individual was the first year with a distress measurement, most often 2001.