Joint Effect of Workplace Gender Discrimination and Gender Composition on the Mental Well-Being in Korean Workers

Background: Despite growing evidence on the effects of workplace gender discrimination (WGD) and gender composition on workers’ mental well-being, little is known about how these two factors interact to shape overall well-being. This study aims to investigate the joint effect of WGD and gender composition on the risk of poor well-being among Korean workers. Methods: We used data from the 6th (2020) and 7th (2023) waves of the Korean Working Conditions Survey (n= 62,642). We assessed both multiplicative and additive interactions between WGD (no vs. yes) and gender composition (gender balanced vs. gender imbalanced) in relation to mental well-being (good vs. poor). Interaction on the multiplicative scale was evaluated using the multiplicative measure along with p value, whereas interaction on the additive scale was assessed using the relative excess risk due to interaction, the attributable proportion, and the synergy index. Results: WGD was strongly associated with poor well-being, with a higher risk observed among workers in gender-imbalanced workplaces [odds ratio = 2.96, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.38 to 3.69] than among those in gender-balanced workplaces (odds ratio = 1.38, 95% CI: 0.92 to 2.05). Evidence of both supramultiplicative (multiplicative measure = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.33 to 3.28, p value<0.01) and supra-additive effects (relative excess risk due to interaction = 1.56, attributable proportion = 0.53, S = 4.82) was found. These statistically significant effects remained among women, whereas no significance was observed among men. Conclusion: The interaction between WGD and gender-imbalanced workplace environments was associated with poorer worker well-being. These findings underscore the importance of addressing both discriminatory practices and structural gender composition to address worker well-being.