Work and your health

Having a temporary or part-time job affects not only your wallet but also your health, according to new Canadian research.

The study, conducted by Dr. Charles Muntaner from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, suggests that workers on temporary or part-time contracts will develop more physical and mental health problems than full-time workers.

Job insecurity, or what Dr. Muntaner calls “precarious employment”, can lead to stress, anxiety and depression — which can then cause cardiovascular disease and other problems.

“Access to healthcare is not the only determinate of a healthy community,” Dr. Muntaner said in a news release. “All aspects of our lifestyle, including how we work, are intrinsically linked to our well-being and our quality and length of life. If the face of Canada’s ever-changing labour market, we must understand and improve the relationship between health and work.”

In Canada, part-time employment has grown by 3.5 per cent in 12 months, much faster than the 0.9 per cent growth in full time work, according to CAMH.

Dr. Muntaner’s findings are included in a World Health Organization study called Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health Equity through Action on the Social Determinants of Health. The report made recommendations on how to achieve health equality, which included improving employment and global working conditions.

Mortality higher among temporary workers

The report found that:

– Mortality is higher among temporary workers compared to permanent workers.

– Workers who perceive they are insecure at work are significantly more likely to develop some form of mental illness.

– Workers who have high-demand but low-control jobs with few rewards are at higher risk for major depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse problems.

– Employees with lower-status, non-permanent jobs are exposed to hazardous work conditions more often than permanent jobs of higher status.

The effects of work-related stress

The research team also found that stress at work is associated with a 50 per cent increased risk of coronary heart disease.

A recent British study also found a startling link between job-related stress and heart disease. According to researchers, chronically stressed workers are 68 per cent more likely to develop heart disease. The study also found that stressed workers face a significantly higher risk of dying of heart disease, suffering a non-fatal heart attack or developing angina. (For more, read “Is your job making you sick?”)

Higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream — like those associated with chronic stress — have also been linked to a number of health problems, including:

– Impaired cognitive performance

– Suppressed thyroid function

– Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia

– Decreased bone density and muscle tissue

– Higher blood pressure

– Lowered immunity

– Increased abdominal fat which is associated with increased risk for heart attacks, strokes, the development of, higher levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL).

ON THE WEB
Read the WHO Report

Sources: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; World Health Organization

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