Work-related socioeconomic determinants of health: evidence from educational mismatch in Italy

Abstract

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IntroductionAn educational mismatch is defined as the situation where the education qualifications of an employee do not match the qualifications required for the job they do. A mismatch can be vertical where the level of the employee's qualification is not the one required by the job. This study contributes to the literature on work-related social determinants of health, by carrying out the first assessment of the relationship between educational mismatch and health in Italy.MethodsData come from PLUS, a national survey of labor supply. The risk of suffering from bad or very bad health associated with educational mismatch is investigated through a logistic regression model accounting for the socioeconomic context and occupation.ResultsOur findings show women are at greater risk of suffering from bad or very bad health than men, especially if under-educated.DiscussionOur results show the need to address more research on work-related social determinants of health, which can represent a barrier to achieving health equity.

Keywords

• educational mismatch
• health equity
• gender gap
• work related socioeconomic determinant
• occupation