Mortality among women and men relative to unemployment, part time work, overtime work, and extra work: a study based on data from the Swedish twin registry
L. Nylen et al., Mortality among women and men relative to unemployment, part time work, overtime work, and extra work: a study based on data from the Swedish twin registry, OCC ENVIR M, 58(1), 2001, pp. 52-57
Citations number
27
Categorie Soggetti
Envirnomentale Medicine & Public Health","Pharmacology & Toxicology
Objective-To examine mortality before 70 years of age among women and men r
elative to unemployment, part time work, overtime work, and extra work. Age
, marital status, children, smoking and alcohol habits, use of sleeping pil
ls and tranquilisers, stress, shift work, personality factors, and long las
ting or serious illness were taken into account as potential confounding fa
ctors.
Methods-The study group comprised a subcohort of the Swedish twin registry,
people born in 1926-58. Data were based on a postal questionnaire of 1973
and on information from the Swedish Causes of Death Registry. All subjects
reporting a main occupation were selected, 9500 women and 11 132 men, and m
ortality from all causes during 1973-96 was analysed. The subjects were tre
ated as a sample from the general population regardless of the twinning.
Results-Unemployment in 1973 among both women and men showed an association
with increased mortality. The adjusted relative risk (RR) (95% confidence
interval (95% CI)) was 1.98 (1.16 to 3.38), for women and 1.43 (0.91 to 2.2
5) for men. For the first 5 years of follow up, a threefold increase in ris
k was found for men (RR (95% CI) 3.29 (1.33 to 8.17)). The RR declined by t
ime, but remained increased throughout the 24 year study period. In women o
vertime work of more than 5 hours a week was followed by an increased morta
lity rate (RR (95% CI) 1.92 (1.13 to 3.25)). A protective effect of moderat
e overtime work of a maximum 5 hours a week was shown for men (RR (95% CI)
0.58 (0.43 to 0.80)), whereas an increased mortality was indicated for part
time work (RR (95% CI) 1.58 (0.91 to 2.77)) and extra work (work outside e
mployment) of more than 5 hours a week (RR (95% CI) 1.29 (0.99 to 1.69)).
Conclusion-Unemployment and some time aspects of work were associated with
subsequent mortality, even when controlling for social, behavioural, work,
and health related factors. The idea that losing a job may have less import
ance for women than for men is not supported by this study.