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Workplace social capital, mental health and health behaviors among Brazilian female workers

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Abstract

Objective

Previous studies have investigated the relationship between workplace social capital and mental health, yet few have sought to examine the mediating mechanisms. We sought to explore the role of workplace social capital on health related behaviors and on mental health among female employees in Brazil.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was undertaken with 553 women aged 28–50 years working in the production line of a poultry processing plant. We assessed workplace social capital, common mental disorders, stress (Perceived Stress Scale) and health related behaviors (physical activity, healthy eating habits and co-occurrence of risk behaviors). We used structural equation modeling to clarify relationships between exposures, outcomes, and mediating variables.

Results

Our model demonstrated a direct effect of social capital on the outcomes studied. Higher workplace social capital was associated with lower stress and common mental disorders as well as more favorable health-related behaviors. Our model also showed an indirect effect of social capital on mental health and on behaviors that was mediated by lower levels of perceived stress.

Conclusion

Workplace social cohesion may play an important role in the promotion of mental health and healthy behaviors among women employees.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (Grants: 477069/2009-6 and 478366/2011-6). M.P.P. was funded by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes) (Grant: BEX 10599/13-4). M.T.A.O. was funded by CNPq (Grant: 307257/2013-4). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish and preparation or approval of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Av. Unisinos 950, São Leopoldo, RS, 93022-000, Brazil

    Marcos Pascoal Pattussi, Maria Teresa Anselmo Olinto, Anderson da Silva Garcez & Vera Maria Vieira Paniz

  2. Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde, Rua Sarmento Leite 245, 90050-170, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Maria Teresa Anselmo Olinto

  3. Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Faculdade de Medicina, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2400, Rio Branco, Porto Alegre, RS, 9003500, Brazil

    Raquel Canuto

  4. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Publich Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Ichiro Kawachi

Authors
  1. Marcos Pascoal Pattussi
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  2. Maria Teresa Anselmo Olinto
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  3. Raquel Canuto
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  4. Anderson da Silva Garcez
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  5. Vera Maria Vieira Paniz
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  6. Ichiro Kawachi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcos Pascoal Pattussi.

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Pattussi, M.P., Olinto, M.T.A., Canuto, R. et al. Workplace social capital, mental health and health behaviors among Brazilian female workers. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 51, 1321–1330 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-016-1232-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-016-1232-5

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