Table 4. Excess effects of low educational attainment on psychological distress^a across three consecutive surveys (T1-T3) of full-time employees in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic: mixed model with repeated measures (N = 1,275).

	Comparison between surveys	Estimates of fixed effects for time × education^b interaction	SE	95% CI	t	P
Crude	T1-T2	0.95	0.53	−0.095–2.00	1.79	0.075
	T1-T3	1.26	0.50	0.28–2.24	2.53	0.011
Adjusted^c	T1-T2	0.93	0.53	−0.12–1.98	1.74	0.082
	T1-T3	1.26	0.50	0.28–2.24	2.53	0.012

CI: confidence interval SE: standard error.

T1-T3: surveys at baseline (March 2020) and at follow-up (May and August 2020), respectively.

^aPsychological distress was measured using a scale from the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ). Scores ranged from 18 to 72, with a higher score indicative of higher distress. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of the scale ranged from 0.93–0.94 among the T1, T2, and T3 surveys.

^bEducational attainment was scored as 0 for high (≥16 years, ie, university graduate or higher) and 1 for low.

^cAdjusted for age, gender, and marital status.

Table 4. Excess effects of low educational attainment on psychological distressa across three consecutive surveys (T1-T3) of full-time employees in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic: mixed model with repeated measures (N = 1,275).

Table 4. Excess effects of low educational attainment on psychological distress^a across three consecutive surveys (T1-T3) of full-time employees in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic: mixed model with repeated measures (N = 1,275).