Job loss from poor health, smoking and obesity: a national prospective survey in France

Abstract

Background and objectives:Health selection into unemployment may be either direct or operate by reference to health-related behaviours rather than health per se (indirect selection). Panel data are desirable to investigate selection effects, and the two types of selection processes may be concurrent. We examine jointly the roles of health and health-related behaviours as precursors of unemployment, in order to disentangle direct from indirect selection processes.Design:The data of a multi-round nationally representative health survey in France were analysed longitudinally, based on three data collection rounds: 1992–5, 1996–8 and 2000–2. Following employees salaried in the private sector and aged 30–54 years at baseline, we explored through logistic regression the influence of non-optimal self-rated health, smoking and obesity on the risk of being found unemployed 4 years later.Results:After adjustment for self-rated health, obesity was found to be a significant precursor of unemployment in women, and heavy smoking had that role in men. After adjustment for smoking and obesity, poor health at baseline was found to be a significant precursor of unemployment in both genders.Conclusion:Those findings confirm the intrinsic role of poor health and of health-related behaviours as precursors of unemployment, with gender-specific patterns for the latter. Public policy prescriptions regarding employees’ protection from job insecurities should integrate appropriate accommodations of health limitations, and the personal factors underlying unfavourable work and health behaviours should be investigated, in order to thwart indirect selection phenomena.

Influence of illness and unhealthy behavior on health‐related early retirement in Korea: Results from a longitudinal study in Korea

“…In the current study, smoking status was related to the risk of ERdHP in men, but not in women (Tables 3 and 4). This gender difference has been reported in previous studies showing that smoking increases the risk of early retirement in men, but not in women 14) . In the current study, obesity was linked to the risk of ERdHP in women, but not in men.…”

“…However, other longitudinal studies have not shown significant associations between smoking and risk of early retirement 12) or disability pension 5) . Another study revealed that the impact of smoking on early retirement varies by gender; smoking increases the risk of early retirement in men, but not in women 14) . Further, some studies report that obese workers who have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more at age 25 have an increased risk of early retirement 12) ; this effect was not examined across gender, however.…”

Does non-employment contribute to the health disadvantage among lone mothers in Britain, Italy and Sweden? Synergy effects and the meaning of family policy

“…Firstly, there is health selection into non-employment (Jusot, Khlat et al 2008), and this may be especially so for lone mothers. Secondly, the health impact of not having an income from gainful employment may be especially damaging for lone mothers.…”

“…Studies have shown that there may be health selection into non-employment (Jusot, Khlat et al 2008). …”

L’impact du chômage sur la santé

“…Pour analyser les relations complexes entre le chômage et l'état de santé [21], il est utile de distinguer trois types d'études : celles principalement évoquées ici, qui suggèrent que les problèmes de santé sont une conséquence directe ou indirecte du chômage et que ce lien causal dépend de facteurs de risque spécifiques [22][23][24] ; celles montrant qu'il existe également un lien causal inverse, à savoir qu'une mauvaise santé augmente le risque de devenir chômeur [25][26][27] ; enfin, celles rappelant que les problèmes de santé sont aussi le résultat d'un environnement social et/ou d'un mode de vie délétères qui favorisent en même temps la survenue de périodes d'accès aux soins, seront quelque peu atténués [40]. D'où l'importance de réaliser des études pour estimer plus précisément l'étendue du problème de santé publique représenté par le chômage dans la population française.…”