Characteristics of employees of small manufacturing businesses by occupation informing evidence-based intervention planning

Objectives: We examined characteristics of employees in six occupational categories in small manufacturing businesses (20-150 employees). Methods: We analyzed survey data from 47 businesses (n2577 employees; 86% response rate) and examined relationships between job type and sociodemographic, health, and organizational support characteristics. Analyses were adjusted for age and sex, and company as a random effect. Results: Smoking rates were highest for production workers (33%), production managers (27%), and support staff (28%) and lowest for managers (11%) (P<0.001). Job stress was higher for production workers and support staff than managers (P<0.0001). Managers perceived social capital (P<0.001), safety climate (P<0.0001) and support for smoking cessation (P<0.001) higher than production managers, production workers, and support staff. Conclusions: Differences in characteristics by occupation call for integrated interventions that target working class employees, leverage the influence of production managers, and enhance organizational support.