- 10:00–11.00: Trial lecture
- 12.00–15.00: Public defence
The title of the trial lecture is «Do women or men have the less healthy jobs?”».
The ordinary opponents are:
- First opponent: Taina Leionen, Chief Researcher Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
- Second opponent: Astrid Syse, Senior Researcher, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
- Third opponent: Axel West Pedersen, professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, OsloMet
The leader of the public defense is professor Anne Britt Djuve, Leader Institute of social sciences, at the Faculty of Social Sciences, OsloMet.
- Main supervisor: Åsmund Hermansen, professor, Institute of social Scinces, Faculty of social sciences
- Co-supervisor: Espen Dahl, researcher, Centre for welfare and Labour research
Summary
This thesis examines how working conditions are associated with gender health disparities in Norway's gender-segregated labor market. Based on the work environment hypothesis, the research question is: How are mechanical and psychosocial working conditions associated with health-related outcomes, encompassing both health status and labor market attachment, among men and women in the Norwegian labor market?
Using Norwegian survey and register data, this thesis developed a gender-specific occupational Job Strain Index (Study I) and examined associations between working conditions and health-related outcomes among health-challenged populations: individuals with prior specialized healthcare contact (Study II) and cancer survivors (Study III).
Findings provided partial support for the work environment hypothesis while revealing complexities. Gender-specific, exposure-specific, and context-dependent patterns suggested that working conditions alone may not fully account for gender health disparities. Results point toward gender-responsive policies addressing distinct occupational health challenges and highlight the need to integrate the work environment hypothesis with other explanatory mechanisms.
