Predictors and consequences of unemployment among construction workers: prospective cohort study

Objective To study predictors and consequences of unemployment. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting TI construction companies in southern Finland. Participants 586 male employees, aged 40-59 years at baseline in 1991 and n ot retired during a 4 year follow up. Main outcome measures Long term unemployment, stress symptoms, disease, alc ohol consumption, exercise activity and body mass index. Results In a multiple logistic regression model, long term unemployment (> 24 months v less than or equal to 24 months) was predicted by age 50-54 yea rs v 40-44 years (odds ratio 2.0, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 3.7), less than or equal to 3 years' employment in the present job (3.1, 1.9 to 5.1), previous unemployment (2.1, 1.2 to 3.8), being single (1.8, 1.1 to 3.1), c urrent smoking (2.6, 1.4 to 4.7), high alcohol consumption (2.1, 1.1 to 4.3 ), body mass index <23 kg/m(2) v 23-29 kg/m(2) (2.4, 1.3 to 4.4), frequent stress symptoms (2.0, 1.2, to 3.2), mental disorders (7.8, 1.5 to 40.0), an d skin diseases (2.0, 1.0 to 3.9). Workers who were unemployed long term re ported increased stress (2.1, 1.2 to 3.5) but fewer incident diseases (0.6, 0.4 to 0.9), decreased alcohol consumption (2.9, 1.6 to 5.2), increased ex ercise (1.9, 1.2 to 3.0), and increased; body mass index (2.3, 1.3 to 4.0) compared with the rest of the cohort. Conclusions The workers' perceptions of work did not predict unemployment H ealth based selection to long term unemployment was shown. Smoking and high alcohol consumption predated unemployment, but favourable lifestyle change s were observed among the unemployed workers. Stress predicted unemployment , which further increased the stress.