Self-rated health in relation to employment status during periods of high and of low levels of unemployment

Åhs, Annika; Westerling, Ragnar

doi:10.1093/eurpub/cki165

Cited by 53 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Still, we should note that the existence and direction of the moderation effect in these cases remains somewhat questionable. While some studies have found that self-rated health is worse (rather than better) among the unemployed when aggregate unemployment rates are high [65], others have found that both the short-term unemployed and those who remain employed report worse health during recessions [15]. In addition, similarly to the present study, some studies have found no relationship between unemployment rates and self-reported health [14, 66].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Misery loves company? A meta-regression examining aggregate unemployment rates and the unemployment-mortality association

Roelfs

Shor

Blank

et al. 2015

Annals of Epidemiology

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PURPOSE Individual-level unemployment has been consistently linked to poor health and higher mortality, but some scholars have suggested that the negative effect of job loss may be lower during times and in places where aggregate unemployment rates are high. We review three logics associated with this moderation hypothesis: health selection, social isolation, and unemployment stigma. We then test whether aggregate unemployment rates moderate the individual-level association between unemployment and all-cause mortality. METHODS We use 6 meta-regression models (each utilizing a different measure of the aggregate unemployment rate) based on 62 relative all-cause mortality risk estimates from 36 studies (from 15 nations). RESULTS We find that the magnitude of the individual-level unemployment-mortality association is approximately the same during periods of high and low aggregate-level unemployment. Model coefficients (exponentiated) were 1.01 for the crude unemployment rate (p = 0.27), 0.94 for the change in unemployment rate from the previous year (p = 0.46), 1.01 for the deviation of the unemployment rate from the 5-year running average (p = 0.87), 1.01 for the deviation of the unemployment rate from the 10-year running average (p = 0.73), 1.01 for the deviation of the unemployment rate from the overall average (measured as a continuous variable; p = 0.61), and showed no variation across unemployment levels when the deviation of the unemployment rate from the overall average was measured categorically. Heterogeneity between studies was significant (p < .001), supporting the use of the random effects model. CONCLUSIONS We found no strong evidence to suggest that unemployment experiences change when macro-economic conditions change. Efforts to ameliorate the negative social and economic consequences of unemployment should continue to focus on the individual and should be maintained regardless of periodic changes in macro-economic conditions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Misery loves company? A meta-regression examining aggregate unemployment rates and the unemployment-mortality association

Roelfs

Shor

Blank

et al. 2015

Annals of Epidemiology

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“…Single, widow, separated or divorced displayed significantly poor self-rated health compared to married (or in marital union) individuals [29, 40]. It seems that being married offers a buffer for poor health possibly through greater access to social support and other resources that marriage offers [41]. …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of poor self-rated health among adults in urban Mozambique

Cau

Falcão²,

Arnaldo

2016

BMC Public Health

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BackgroundSelf-rated health is a measure expressing the general condition of health of individuals. Self-rated health studies are common in developed countries and in some developing regions. Despite increasing proportion of adult and older population in sub-Saharan Africa and poor population health indicators, there is a dearth of studies on self-rated health in the region. This study examines factors associated with poor self-rated health among adult individuals in Maputo metropolitan area in Mozambique.MethodsData for this study come from a survey of 1768 individuals aged 18 years or more carried out in Maputo metropolitan area, Mozambique, in 2015. Employing multiple logistic regression, the study used a subsample of 677 female and male respondents aged 40 years or more to estimate the determinants of poor self-rated health.ResultsAbout 54 % of respondents aged 40 years or more believed that their health status was poor. Female respondents [Odds Ratios (OR) = 3.43, p <0.01], single (OR = 4.71, p < 0.05), widow (OR = 1.81, p < 0.05), separated or divorced (OR = 2.08, p < 0.05) and those believing that hypertension or heart problem was a major community health problem (OR = 1.56, p < 0.05) displayed higher odds of reporting poor health than their peers, net of other factors. Furthermore, individuals aged 40–49 years (OR = 0.45, p < 0.01), or 50–59 years (OR = 0.59, p < 0.05), those whose work involves intensive physical activity (OR = 0.60, p < 0.05) and those from households treating drinking water (OR = 0.49, p < 0.01) showed lower odds of reporting poor health, adjusting for other factors.ConclusionOverall, the results point to the importance of age, gender, marital status, socioeconomic circumstances, individuals’ health behaviors and perceived community health problems as key determinants of poor self-rated health among adults in Maputo metropolitan area. Given the growing number of adult and older people in sub-Saharan Africa, the rising importance of non-communicable diseases and the scarcity of studies on determinants of poor self-rated health among adults in the region, our findings may have implications for a better understanding of the drivers of poor health among adults in urban sub-Saharan Africa

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“…It has been argued that the stress caused by unemployment may decrease during economic recession as unemployment is more widespread. Similarly, when unemployment rates are high, the unemployed may be more heterogeneous and healthier (Ahs and Westerling 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Youth unemployment and economic recession in Spain: influence on health and lifestyles in young people (16–24 years old)

Aguilar-Palacio

Carrera‐Lasfuentes

Rabanaque

2015

Int J Public Health

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Self-rated health in relation to employment status during periods of high and of low levels of unemployment

Abstract: Poorer self-rated health among the unemployed seems to be an increasing public health problem during high levels of unemployment.

Cited by 53 publications

References 30 publications

Misery loves company? A meta-regression examining aggregate unemployment rates and the unemployment-mortality association

Misery loves company? A meta-regression examining aggregate unemployment rates and the unemployment-mortality association

Determinants of poor self-rated health among adults in urban Mozambique

Youth unemployment and economic recession in Spain: influence on health and lifestyles in young people (16–24 years old)

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