Gender mediated effects of workplace bullying on the association between employee weight status and psychological health problems.

Nutrients 2021, 13(11), 3867. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13113867

Commentary

Obese people may face problems such as bullying in the workplace and other life domains. However, the association between the experience of workplace bullying and psychological health problems, taking into account weight status and gender, will be unknown.

A population-based sample, 1290 employees, had been surveyed about self-reports of workplace bullying and its variation with weight status and gender. Path analysis was used to test the mediating effect of gender on the association of workplace bullying with weight status and work-related psychological health problems (burnout, quality of life).

Results showed that obese individuals experienced more workplace bullying than normal-weight employees, that it was positively associated with psychological health problems, and that it partially mediated the association between higher weight status and higher burnout and lower quality of life in women, but not in men.

A greater experience of workplace bullying was more strongly associated with work-related psychological health problems in women compared to weight status.