Korean J Health Promot.  2020 Jun;20(2):79-89. 10.15384/kjhp.2020.20.2.79.

Gender-Specific Association between Emotional Labor and Health-Promoting Behavior in Call Center Workers

• Kim HJ
• Choo J

• KMID: 2503937
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15384/kjhp.2020.20.2.79

Abstract

Background
This study aimed to examine whether emotional labor was significantly associated with health-promoting behaviors among both women and men at call center workers.
Methods
A cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted among 709 workers (470 women and 239 men) at K call center workplace in Seoul, South Korea. Emotional labor and health-promoting behaviors were measured using the Emotional Labor and Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II (HPLP-II).
Results
Of all the call center workers, the average score of emotional labor was 3.5 out of 5.0. Women had a higher average emotional labor score (3.6 points) than men (3.5 points). The average score of health-promoting behaviors was 2.0 out of 4.0 in the overall workers and each group of women and men workers, respectively. Emotional labor was significantly associated with health-promoting behaviors among each group of women and men. Among women workers, emotional labor was significantly negatively associated with the spiritual growth and stress management subscales of the HPLP-II, while among men workers, it was significantly negatively associated with all HPLP-II subscales.
Conclusions
Emotional labor may be associated with health-promoting behaviors and its associations with the subscales of health-promoting behaviors may differ by gender. Therefore, nursing strategies for reducing emotional labor should be concerned in the context of gender-specific associations with emotional labor.

Keyword

Emotions; Workplace; Health promotion; Health behavior; Gender