Losing a job increases risk of dying prematurely

Toronto: People without jobs face a 63 percent risk of dying prematurely, according to surveys covering 20 million people in 15 countries over the last 40 years.

A surprise finding was that the link between unemployment and a higher death risk remained the same in all the countries covered by the study, inspite of better healthcare systems.

"Until now, one of the big questions has been about whether pre-existing health conditions, such as diabetes or heart problems, smoking, drinking or drug use, lead to both unemployment and a greater risk of death," said Eran Shor, who led the study.

"This probably has to do with unemployment causing stress and negatively affecting one's socio-economic status, which in turn leads to poorer health and higher mortality rates," said Shor, professor in sociology at McGill University.

The research also showed that unemployment increases men's mortality risk more than it does women's mortality risk (78 percent vs 37 percent).

The risk of death is particularly high for those who are under the age of 50, according to a McGill statement.

"We suspect that even today, not having a job is more stressful for men than for women," Shor said.

"When a man loses his job, it still often means that the family will become poorer and suffer in various ways, which in turn can have a huge impact on a man's health by leading to both increased smoking, drinking or eating," he said.

(Photo Courtesy: Blogspot.com)

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