From young to adult health consequences of unemployment from a gender perspective

Abstract: Background The point of departure in this thesis is that unemployment is a recognised determinant of health, which may vary between different ages and among men and women. Despite governmental policies to tackle unemployment and ease its effects on health, unemployment continues to bea growing public health problem.Aim The objective of the thesis was to analyse, from a gender perspective, the relationships between ill health and unemployment as well as other unstable labour market positions in the transition from youth to adulthood.The aim of each paper was: I. Does the association between ill health and unemployment differ between young people and adults? II. Is the transition from an unstable labour market position to permanent paid job health-protective? III. Is participation in labour market programmes related to mental health? IV. What is the association between ill health among men and women and how could it be analysed with a relational theory of gender?Methods The longitudinal study was carried out in Luleå - a medium-sized industrial town in the Northern Sweden. The cohort, consisting of all 1083 pupils (506 girls and 577 boys) aged 16 who attended the last year of compulsory school in 1981, was followed up at the ages of 16, 18, 21 and 30. The response rates were high e.g. 96.4% at 14 years follow-up. The cohort was followed with extensive and well-validated questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression was used in all papers, while propensity score matchingwas used in Paper III.Results Paper I. Health effects of long-term unemployment differed between young people and adults. Long-term unemployment was more related to psychological ill health and smoking in young people than in adults. Paper II. The results indicated that after controlling for gender as well as for an indicator of health-related selection, possible confounders and mediators transition from an unstable labour market position to permanent employment could be health-promoting. Paper III. No association was found between participation in active labour market programmes and psychological symptoms. Due to methodological shortages the results have to be interpreted with caution. Adjustment for either all background selection variables or the propensity score in multivariate logistic regression showed similar associations suggesting that propensity score could be used to adjust for background selection variables. Paper IV. A strong association between unemployment and suboptimal self-rated health among women and high alcohol consumption among men was found and a theory of structural relations was used to discuss the gendered patterns for ill health.Conclusion The thesis indicated gendered patterns of relations between unemployment and the health outcomes, in the transition from youth to adulthood. The policy implications of my thesis are that full employment policies should be promoted to reduce the health inequalities associated with unemployment.