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Loss of employment and ill health.

Morris, Joan Katherine; (1992) Loss of employment and ill health. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D.), Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine. Green open access

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Abstract

This thesis examines the relationship between non-employment (unemployment and early retirement), physical health, health-related behaviour and mortality using data on 7735 men enrolled in the British Regional Heart Study. The Initial Screening of men aged 40-59 from 24 towns in England, Scotland and Wales was carried out in 1978-80. After five years follow-up a postal questionnaire was completed by 98% of available men and after eight years follow-up, each man's general practitioner records were examined. The main analyses are based on 6057 'stably' employed men who were employed at Initial Screening and had experienced no unemployment in the five years prior to this. At Initial Screening 'stably' employed men who subsequently experienced some non- employment over the next five years showed evidence of greater morbidity, were heavier smokers and drinkers and consulted their general practitioners more frequently than 'stably' employed men who remained continuously employed. Men who stated that their subsequent retirement was not due to ill health did not exhibit these characteristics prior to the loss of employment. On experiencing nonemployment there was no evidence that non-employed men were likely to increase their smoking and alcohol consumption. The only evidence of a loss of employment being associated with the adoption of behaviour detrimental to future health was an increased propensity to gain a large amount of weight. Loss of employment was associated with an increase in general practice consultations. Over a five and a half year period following the Postal Questionnaire, men who had experienced some non-employment between Initial Screening and the Postal Questionnaire had a raised risk of death from all causes compared to men who had remained continuously employed. This association between loss of employment and increased risk of mortality could not be explained fully by pre-existing health status and/or by health-related behaviour.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Qualification: Ph.D.
Title: Loss of employment and ill health.
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
Additional information: Thesis digitised by Proquest
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10108107
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