Home > Review Articles > Mortality > Association between employment status and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality

Association between employment status and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality

Making Education Easy

Authors:
Summary:

Retirement, temporary unemployment and never being employed were associated with higher mortality in a population-based prospective cohort study of 282,364 participants aged 18–65 years in the US National Health Interview Survey from 2001–2013. A total of 12,645 participants died during a mean follow-up of 8.2 years. An increased all-cause mortality risk was evident for participants who were retired (HR 1.27; 95% CI 1.17–1.37), temporarily unemployed (HR 1.76; 95% CI 1.67–1.86), or never employed (HR 1.63; 95% CI 1.47–1.81) compared with employed participants. Conditions associated with increased mortality risk included cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, diabetes and kidney disease.

Comment:
Research about the impact of unemployment on health always reminds me of Vera Keefe- Ormsby and her seminal study ( https://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington/departments/publichealth/research/erupomare/research/otago019495.html ) on health following the closure of the meat works in Hawkes Bay. Obviously there are reasons outside of peoples’ control for them to be unemployed. As health professionals, our role is to ensure excellent access to care including the management of risk factors
Reference: J Epidemiol Community Health. 2020;74(5):428-436.
Independent commentary by Dr. Matire Hardwood

Dr Matire Harwood (Ngapuhi) has worked in Hauora Māori, primary health and rehabilitation settings as clinician and researcher since graduating from Auckland Medical School in 1994. She also holds positions on a number of boards, committees and advisory groups including the Health Research Council. Matire lives in Auckland with her whānau including partner Haunui and two young children Te Rangiura and Waimarie.

Research Review publications are intended for New Zealand health professionals.

Disclaimer: This publication is not intended as a replacement for regular medical education but to assist in the process. The reviews are a summarised interpretation of the published study and reflect the opinion of the writer rather than those of the research group or scientific journal. It is suggested readers review the full trial data before forming a final conclusion on its merits.

Related Articles

Rural-urban disparities in mortality in younger age groups cannot be explained by ethnicity or socioeconomic

Explore Māori Health Reviews

Dive into our publications and videos content from over 50 areas of medicine including Cardiology, Diabetes, Oncology, Haematology and Psychiatry. 

It looks like you are closest to our Australia site.

Australia
Australia
Find Reviews in Your Clinical Area
Please select your country of practice.
Terms and Conditions

Website terms of use 

By using our website, you agree to follow these terms and conditions. 

 

Privacy policy 

We take your privacy seriously. To understand how we collect, use, and protect your information, please read our Privacy Policy, which is part of these terms. 

 

Copyright and use of website content 

The content of our website is protected by copyright, trademarks, and other legal rights. You can: view, download, or print a single copy of content for your personal or professional use. 

You cannot:  copy, modify, or distribute website content, or use our website content for commercial purposes or in other works without permission. 

 

Links to third-party websites 

The Research Review website may link to third-party websites for your convenience. However: 

We do not endorse or approve their products, services, or actions. 

We are not responsible for their content or how they operate. 

There is no formal partnership between us and third parties unless we clearly state otherwise. 

 

Disclaimer and limitation of liability 

We do our best to keep the information on our website accurate, but we do not guarantee that it is always correct or up to date. 

To the fullest extent allowed by law, we are not responsible for: 

Any loss, damage, or costs you may suffer from using (or being unable to use) our website. 

Any decisions you make based on the information provided. 

Any business losses, such as lost profits, lost data, or business interruptions. 

 

Governing law 

These terms are governed by New Zealand law. If there is a dispute, it must be resolved in a New Zealand court.