EMPLOYMENT STATUS AND ITS HEALTH-RELATED EFFECTS IN RURAL STYRIA, AUSTRIA

Background. Unemployment has become a serious social problem in indust rialized countries. Job loss produces health-related disorders. Health -related data of the unemployed are scarce and prompted us to survey t his group. Methods. A database of a health survey conducted between 19 89 and 1993 in 79 selected rural communities of Styria (Austria) was u sed to analyze risk factors and employment status. The sample consiste d of 8,747 individuals, 345 unemployed and 8,402 employed. Results. Ri sk behavior is higher among unemployed individuals than among those em ployed, particularly for males. Unemployed males were significantly le ss motivated to reduce weight and to change dietary habits than their counterparts, and they had significantly more anxieties, sleeping diso rders, and lack of appetite. A similar pattern was found with regard t o gastrointestinal and chronic liver and respiratory diseases. In addi tion, the unemployed utilized medical services more often. Conclusions . This is the first study on health-related indicators and unemploymen t status in Austria. Job loss implies health-related disorders. The ef fectiveness of reducing the morbidity of the population in general is also dependent on intervention programs focusing on the specific needs of this high-risk group, e.g., adapting primary health care to its ne eds and fostering social support networks. (C) 1996 Academic Press, In c.