Unemployment and obesity among young adults in a northern Finland 1966 birth cohort

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To establish (1) if obesity in adolescence predicts a long history of unemployment and other adverse social outcomes at age 31 y and, conversely, (2) the effect of a long history of unemployment on the risk of obesity at 31 y. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: A longitudinal, population-based study of 9754 subjects born in 1966 in Northern Finland was conducted. The cohort members were studied at birth, 1, 14 and 31 y. MEASUREMENTS: Body mass index (BMI) at 14 and 31 y; work history, as self-reported at 31 y and as recorded in national registers of the total number of days each subject had received unemployment allowance between 1985 and 1997; place of residence at 14 and 31 y; family social class at 14 y; subject's school performance at 16 y; marital status and number of children at 31 y. RESULTS: Overweight and obesity at 14 y did not predict a long history of unemployment at 31 y, but were associated with a low level of education, and being single or divorced at 31 y among females. A long history of unemployment (register data) was associated with an increased risk of obesity among women, but not men, after controlling for potential confounding factors (social class at 14 y, BMI at 14 y, school performance at 16 y, place of residence, and number of children). The adjusted OR (95% CI) was 1.09 (0.72 -1.63) for men, and 1.64 (1.07 -2.50) for women. CONCLUSION: Adverse social outcomes of adolescent obesity seemed to emerge more for women. Subjects with low school performance and women with a long unemployment history are at increased risk of obesity.

Socio-economic status and abdominal obesity among Finnish adults from 1992 to 2002

“…Unemployed have more stress-related eating or drinking, and prospective studies have shown that long-term unemployment increases the risk of having high BMI, indicating obesity among women. 30 Our study revealed that WC is increasing even more rapidly than BMI among unemployed women. Biological mechanisms that increase the risk of abdominal fat accumulation such as elevated cortisol levels owing to prolonged stress 31 may partly explain this finding.…”

Body mass index and weight change from adolescence into adulthood, waist-to-hip ratio and perceived work ability among young adults

“…All measures of central tendency showed little difference between males and females, but the cutoff point for the Obesity and work ability in young adults J Laitinen et al 15th percentile was slightly higher in the males (29) than in the females (25).…”

“…The existing longitudinal studies on obesity and its social and economic consequences suggest that adverse outcomes seem to emerge more easily for women than for men. 23,24,25 In contrast, a high WHR, which indicates a large amount of visceral fat, was associated with poor work ability in both sexes.…”

Obesity and depression: results from the longitudinal Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort Study

“…42,43 Increased levels of cortisol have been observed during stress 44 and depression. 45 As a way to cope with stress some individuals are prone to consume alcohol Obesity and depression A Herva et al and to eat unhealthy foods, 22 which is associated with abdominal obesity 35 and depression. 46 This was supported in this study by the observation that crude ORs decreased when analyses were controlled for unhealthy behaviours.…”

“…We used an internal definition, based on percentiles, to provide sufficient numbers for the analyses as has been performed in previous studies on adolescent obesity and also in this sample. 14,22 BMI at the age of 31 years was calculated using the measured data of body weight (kg, in underwear) and height (cm, without shoes) obtained during the clinical examination or the weight and height asked in the questionnaire if the measured data from the clinical examination were not Obesity and depression A Herva et al available. In 70% of the subjects weight and height were measured.…”