Health inequalities between employed and unemployed in northern Sweden: a decomposition analysis of social determinants for mental health

Table 1 Descriptive characteristics of unemployed and employed in three age groups (% within unemployed and employed)

	Youth (age 16 to 25)					Adulthood (age 26 to 39)					Middle age (age 40 to 65)
	Unemployed		Employed			Unemployed		Employed			Unemployed		Employed
	%	n	%	n	p	%	n	%	n	P	%	n	%	n	p
Determinants
Male gender	49.6	143	43.2	310		43.0	125	46.4	1677		57.6	234	47.3	3527	***
Low education	52.6	141	31.4	222	***	29.4	82	10.1	363	***	62.0	248	46.8	3481	***
Not cohabiting civil status	72.9	210	61.1	439	***	43.3	126	23.0	830	***	35.0	142	18.0	1430	***
Blue-collar occupational class	91.0	259	74.3	520	***	75.8	213	41.1	1452	***	67.4	263	39.1	2859	***
Lowest income quintile	81.5	233	56.8	407	***	43.5	123	9.1	328	***	21.7	87	3.9	292	***
Cash margin	49.7	143	18.4	132	***	50.2	146	14.1	508	***	41.4	168	9.6	714	***
Financial strain	33.2	95	18.6	133	***	46.1	134	13.4	482	***	29.95	121	8.0	593	***
Low
Practical support	5.3	15	2.4	17	***	9.7	28	2.8	100	***	12.4	49	3.4	251	***
Social support	17.6	50	11.0	78	***	22.0	63	9.2	327	***	20.4	80	9.7	710	***
Trust in others	53.0	151	39.0	277	***	44.8	128	24.0	855	***	31.1	123	14.9	1091	***
Participation in social activities	22.9	66	9.5	68	***	32.3	94	14.2	512	***	37.4	152	20.8	1548	***
Participation in sports events	68.4	197	44.2	317	***	71.8	209	44.1	1592	***	74.4	302	52.2	3891	***
Trust in unemployment benefits	81.8	198	81.8	494		80.1	217	77.2	2564		75.5	284	76.3	4738
Trust in health care systems	42.5	108	37.3	248		47.8	133	36.5	1284	***	41.5	160	31.1	2246	***

Pearson chi-square was applied between unemployed and employed for each determinant of health. *** denotes significance at the 5% level

ISSN: 1475-9276