Documents health status 561 results

"Objectives The aim of this study was to analyze the differences between full- and part-time employment (FTE and PTE) in terms of working conditions, on the one hand, and job satisfaction, health status, and work-related psychosocial problems according to gender and welfare state regime, on the other hand, and to analyze the role of working conditions in the association between PTE and FTE.Methods This cross-sectional study was based on a sample of 7921 men and 8220 women from the European Working Conditions Survey aged 16–64 years, who were employed part-time (5–19 or 20–30 hours per week) or full-time (31–40 hours/week). Multiple logistic regression models were fitted separately for each gender and welfare state regime.Results PTE is associated with poorer working conditions than FTE for all national welfare types. Among women, only those in southern European countries experienced low job satisfaction [odds ratio after adjustment (ORadj) for sociodemographic variables, ORadj 1.73, and 1.66, for those working 20–30 and 5–19 hours/week, respectively; reference group: FTE workers], but this association disappeared after further adjustment for working conditions. Low job satisfaction and poorer health status was more common among PTE men from continental (low job satisfaction, ORadj 1.80 and 3.61, for 20–30 and 5–19 working hours/week, respectively), and southern European (ORadj, 2.98, for 5–19 working hours/week) countries. PTE tended to be associated with fewer psychosocial problems among women, but with more psychosocial problems among men in continental Europe and those those engaged in “mini-jobs” in southern European welfare regimes.Conclusions The association between FTE and PTE and job satisfaction, health status, and psychosocial problems is partly driven by working conditions and differs between gender and welfare regime. This highlights the importance of promoting effective measures to ensure equal treatment between FTE and PTE workers and the role of the social norms that form part of these different welfare states regimes."

"Objectives Many studies have investigated the association between long working hours and health. By focusing on differences in the definition of long working hours and the influence of shift work, we attempt to explain why the results of these studies remain inconclusive. Methods We defined long working hours as working time greater than around 40 hours per week or 8 hours per day. Since previous studies have indicated that shift work is detrimental to health, we minimized the influence of shift work in the studies. We also placed importance on the existence of reference groups since this made the results clearer. Based on these points, we analyzed previous studies to clarify the epidemiological evidence regarding the association between long working hours and health. We established inclusion criteria and carried out a systematic search for articles published in the Medline and PsycINFO databases between 1995–2012.Results We identified a total of 17 articles and 19 studies (12 prospective cohort and 7 cross-sectional studies). The outcomes were all-cause mortality, circulatory disease, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, depressive state, anxiety, other psychological disorders, sleep condition, cognitive function, and health-related behavior. Long working hours had significant adverse effects on most health outcomes. Conclusions We concluded that working long hours is associated with depressive state, anxiety, sleep condition, and coronary heart disease. However, further studies that appropriately deal with the definition of long working hours and shift work are needed."

"Objectives This study aimed to (i) identify family responsibilities associated with moderately long working hours (41–60 hours a week); (ii) examine the relationship between moderately long working hours and three health outcomes; and (iii) analyze whether patterns differ by welfare state regimes. Methods The sample was composed of all employees aged 16–64 years working 30–60 hours a week interviewed in the 2005 European Working Conditions Survey (9288 men and 6295 women). We fitted multiple logistic regression models separated by sex and welfare state regime typologies.Results Married males were more likely to work long hours in countries with male breadwinner models whereas family responsibilities were related to long working hours among both sexes in countries with dual breadwinner models. The association between long working hours and health was (i) stronger among men in countries with male breadwinner models, primarily in Anglo-Saxon countries [adjusted odds ratio (ORadj) associated with working 51–60 hours of 6.43, 6.04 and 9.60 for work-related poor health status, stress and psychological distress, respectively); (ii) similar among both sexes in Nordic countries; and (iii) stronger among women in Eastern European countries.Conclusions In the European Union of 25 members (EU-25), working moderately long hours is associated with poor health outcomes with different patterns depending on welfare state regimes. The findings from this study suggest that the family responsibilities and breadwinner models can help explain the relationship between long working hours and health status."

"Throughout the recent economic recession 2007–2009 and beyond the public's attention was directed principally to the worldwide impact on business and the way countries struggle with the financial aspects of the ‘crisis'. But what about the influence of this recession on social and health aspects of life? These were discussed only later. Over the last 200 years, other important economic breakdowns have challenged the world. Below I review the consequences of today's crisis on individual health, population health (national and globally), look back at history, and then ask if there are possibilities for change. Economic downturns are frequently accompanied by higher unemployment rates, decline of private consumption, job insecurity, and job migration. Indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP), investment spending, and household income decline during crises. Are there consequences for human health, and if so of what kind?"

"We explore the effects of income and, additionally education on the income, self-reported health and survival of men aged sixty-five and over in Great Britain . By so doing, we identify benefits of education which are omitted in the conventional analysis with its focus on labour income excluding employers' pension contributions. We find that income at age sixty-five is significantly influenced by educational attainment and has a significant effect on survival. Even after controlling for circumstances at age sixty-five or when first observed, we identify benefits discounted to age sixty-five of

"We analyze the relationship between health and the double burden of both informal care provision and full-time work using administrative data from the second biggest German sickness fund. We have information on more than 7000 caregivers over a period of three years and apply linear panel data and two-part models. As outcome measures we use detailed information on the prescription of five types of drugs. We find that individuals who provide care and also work full-time have a significantly higher consumption of antidepressant drugs and tranquilizers than those who work only. This is mostly driven by an increase in the extensive margin of drug intake."

"This paper interprets accidents occurring on the way to and from work as negative health shocks to identify the causal effect of health on labor market outcomes. We argue that in our sample of exactly matched injured and non-injured workers, these health shocks (predominantly impairments in the musculoskeletal system) are quasi-randomly assigned. A fixed-effects difference-in-differences approach estimates a negative and persistent effect on subsequent employment and earnings. After initial periods with a higher incidence of sick leave, injured workers are more likely to be unemployed, and a growing share of them leave the labor market via disability retirement. Injured workers who manage to stay in employment incur persistent earnings losses. The effects are somewhat stronger for sub-groups of workers who are typically less attached to the labor market."

"Objective The main aims of this longitudinal study were to (i) examine associations between changes in economic difficulties and health functioning among middle-aged employees and (ii) assess whether the associations remained after considering conventional domains of socioeconomic position. The associations were tested in two European welfare state occupational cohorts to strengthen the evidence base and improve generalizability. Methods Data came from two cohorts: the Finnish Helsinki Health Study (baseline 2000–2002, follow-up 2007, N=6328) and the British Whitehall II Study (baseline 1997–1999, follow-up 2003–2004, N=4350). Responses to the survey item “finding it hard to afford adequate food and clothes and pay bills” repeated at baseline and follow-up were used to examine persistent, increasing, and decreasing economic difficulties. Poor physical and mental health functioning were denoted as being in the lowest quartile of the Short Form 36 physical and mental component summary. Logistic regression analyses were adjusted for sex, age, childhood economic difficulties, household income at baseline and follow-up, employment status at follow-up, and baseline health functioning. Results We observed strong sex- and age-adjusted associations between increasing [odds ratio (OR) range 1.69–2.96] and persistent (OR range 2.54–3.21) economic difficulties and poorer physical and mental health functioning in both British and Finnish occupational cohorts. These associations remained after full adjustments. Those reporting decreasing difficulties over follow-up also had poorer functioning (OR range 1.30–1.61) compared to those who did not have difficulties at baseline, possibly reflecting residual effects of economic difficulties at baseline. Conclusion Changes in economic difficulties are associated with poorer physical and mental health functioning independent of income, employment status, and baseline health functioning.'