[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 129 (Thursday, July 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38223-38224]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-15180]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-08-0630]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-5960 or send an e-mail 
to [email protected]. Send written comments to CDC Desk Officer, Office of 
Management and Budget, Washington, DC or by fax to (202) 395-6974. 
Written comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Work Organization Predictors of Depression in Women--
Reinstatement--The National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    Depression is a costly and debilitating occupational health 
problem. Research has indicated that the costs to an organization of 
treatment for depression can rival those for heart disease, and both 
major depressive disorder and forms of minor depression have been found 
to be associated with more disability days than other types of health 
diagnoses. This may be of particular relevance for working women. 
Various national and international studies indicate that women in 
developed countries experience depression at up to twice the rate of 
men. Studies that have examined this gender difference have focused on 
social, personality, and genetic explanations while few have explored 
factors in the workplace that may contribute to the gender 
differential. Examples of workplace factors that may contribute to 
depression among women include: additive workplace and home 
responsibilities, lack of control and authority, and low paying and low 
status jobs. Additionally, women are much more likely to face various 
types of discrimination in the workplace than men, ranging from 
harassment to inequalities in hiring and promotional opportunities, and 
these types of stressors have been strongly linked with psychological 
distress and other negative health outcomes. On the positive side, 
organizations that are judged by their employees to value diversity and 
employee development engender lower levels of employee stress, and 
those that enforce policies against discrimination have more committed 
employees. Such organizational practices and policies may be beneficial 
for employee mental health, particularly the mental health of women.
    This research focuses on the following questions: (1) Which work 
organization factors are most predictive of depression in women, and 
(2) are there measurable work organization factors that confer 
protection against depression in women employees?
    The research uses a repeated measures, prospective design with data 
collection at three points (baseline and eighteen months follow-ups). A 
45-minute survey is being administered by telephone to 314 women and 
men at 16 different organizations. The survey contains questions about 
traditional job stressors (e.g., changes in workload, social support, 
work roles), stressors not traditionally examined, but which may be 
linked with depressive symptoms among women (e.g., roles and 
responsibilities outside of the workplace, discrimination, career 
issues) depression symptoms, and company policies, programs and 
practices. Analyses will determine which work organization factors are 
linked with depressive symptoms and what effect the organizational 
practices/policies of interest have on depression. Findings from this 
prospective study will also help target future intervention efforts to 
reduce occupationally-related depression in women workers. There will 
be no cost to respondents. The estimated annualized burden for this 
data collection is 236 hours.

                       Estimated Annualized Burden
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 Number of     Average
                                    Number of    responses    burden per
           Respondents             respondents      per        response
                                                 respondent   (in hours)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employees........................          314            1        45/60
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[[Page 38224]]

    Dated: June 27, 2008.
Maryam Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E8-15180 Filed 7-2-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P