Characteristics of non-domestic migrant workers with psychological distress assessed by Kessler-6 score of 13 or higher, HealthServe clinics and foreign worker dormitory, 23 July–28 August 2016*
| Characteristic (number of respondents, n) | Kessler-6 score of 13 or higher (N=92, 21.9%) | Kessler-6 score of 12 or lower (reference group) (N=328, 78.1%) | p Value | OR (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, median (IQR) (n=420) | 29.5 (26.0, 34·.5) | 32.0 (27.0, 38.5) | 0.047† | – |
| Gender, no. (%) (n=420) | ||||
| Male | 91 (99) | 325 (99) | 1.0‡ | 0.84 (0.09 to 8.2) |
| Nationality, no. (%) (n=420) | ||||
| Bangladeshi | 75 (82) | 208 (63) | 0.001 | 2.6 (1.4 to 4.5) |
| Indian | 8 (9) | 75 (23) | 0.003 | 0.32 (0.15 to 0.70) |
| Chinese | 9 (10) | 42 (13) | 0.43 | 0.74 (0.35 to 1.6) |
| Others | 0 (0) | 3 (0.9) | 1.00‡ | – |
| Marital status, no. (%) (n=419) | ||||
| Married | 59 (64) | 201 (62) | 0.64 | 1.1 (0.69 to 1.8) |
| Single | 33 (36) | 125 (38) | 0.68 | 0.90 (0.56 to 1.5) |
| Separated | 0 (0) | 1 (0.3) | 1.00‡ | – |
| Number supported, median (IQR) (n=418) | 5 (4, 6) | 5 (4, 6) | 0.91 | – |
| Work industry, no. (%) (n=418) | ||||
| Construction | 66 (73) | 234 (71) | 0.71 | 1.1 (0.65 to 1.9) |
| Shipyard | 18 (20) | 52 (16) | 0.35 | 1.3 (0.73 to 2.4) |
| Maintenance | 4 (4) | 24 (7) | 0.33 | 0.59 (0.20 to 1.7) |
| Others | 2 (2) | 18 (6) | 0.27‡ | 0.39 (0.09 to 1.7) |
| Unemployed (n=420) | 8 (9) | 1 (0.3) | <0.0001‡ | 31 (3.84 to 253) |
| Highest education completed, no. (%) (n=420) | ||||
| Primary | 11 (12) | 37 (11) | 0.86 | 1.1 (0.52 to 2.2) |
| Secondary | 58 (63) | 196 (60) | 0.57 | 1.2 (0.71 to 1.9) |
| Postsecondary | 23 (25) | 95 (29) | 0.46 | 0.82 (0.48 to 1.4) |
| Basic monthly salary(SG$), median (IQR) (n=409) | 700 (546.5, 900) | 800 (600, 1100) | 0.10† | – |
| Average working hours a week, median (IQR) (n=407) | 60 (54, 71) | 60 (52, 70) | 0.46† | – |
| Number of rest days/month, median (IQR) (n=407) | 4 (2, 4) | 4 (2, 4) | 0.26† | – |
| Duration in Singapore, years, median (IQR) (n=417) | 6 (4, 9) | 6 (3, 9) | 0.85† | – |
| Agent fees (SG$), no. (%) (n=420) | ||||
| None | 8 (9) | 37 (11) | 0.48 | 0.75 (0.34 to 1.7) |
| 1000 and less | 2 (2) | 8 (2) | 0.88 | 0.89 (0.19 to 4.3) |
| 1001–5000 | 40 (44) | 170 (53) | 0.16 | 0.72 (0.46 to 1.1) |
| 5001–10 000 | 29 (32) | 93 (28) | 0.55 | 1.2 (0.71 to 1.9) |
| 10 001 and above | 9 (10) | 10 (3) | 0.011‡ | 3.5 (1.4 to 9.8) |
| Current amount owed (SG$), no. (%) (n=420) | ||||
| None | 71 (77) | 272 (83) | 0.21 | 0.70 (0.40 to 1.2) |
| 1000 and less | 2 (2) | 9 (3) | 1.00‡ | 0.79 (0.17 to 3.7) |
| 1001–5000 | 11 (12) | 27 (8) | 0.27 | 1.5 (0.72 to 3.2) |
| 5001–10 000 | 5 (5) | 14 (4) | 0.58‡ | 1.3 (0.45 to 3.7) |
| 10 001 and above | 1 (1) | 1 (0.3) | 0.39‡ | 3.6 (0.22 to 58) |
| Type of entry visa, no. (%) (n=417) | ||||
| Work permit | 82 (89) | 311 (96) | 0.017 | 0.37 (0.16 to 0.86) |
| S Pass | 4 (4) | 12 (4) | 0.76‡ | 1.2 (0.37 to 3.8) |
| Special pass | 6 (7) | 0 (0) | <0.0001‡ | – |
| Multiple journey visa | 0 (0) | 2 (0.6) | 1.00‡ | – |
| Chronic medical problems, no. (%) (n=419) | ||||
| Yes | 10 (11) | 24 (7) | 0.26 | 1.6 (0.72 to 3.4) |
| Financial barriers reported§, no. (%) (n=420) | ||||
| Yes | 39 (42) | 54 (17) | <0.001 | 3.7 (2.3 to 6.2) |
*p Values by Pearson χ2 test. Reference population used for p values and OR are those with Kessler-6 score 12 or less.
†p Values by independent-samples Hodges-Lehmann's median difference test.
‡p Values by Fisher's exact test.
§Respondents who answered ‘Yes’ to the following questions: during your time in Singapore, was there any time when, because of cost (a) you did not seek medical care; (b) needed prescription medications but did not get them or (c) needed specialist care but did not do so?
SG$, Singapore dollars