Early unemployment can contribute to adult health problems: results from a longitudinal study of school leavers.

Full Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the long term effects of early unemployment (a total of more than half a year of unemployment between the ages of 16 and 21) on health behaviour and psychological and somatic symptoms. DESIGN: A 14 year follow up of a cohort of school leavers was conducted from 1981 to 1995. Information was collected by questionnaires. SETTING: An industrial town in northern Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: The original cohort was defined as all pupils in a middle sized municipality in the last year of compulsory school at age 16 (n=1083). The participants were followed up between the ages of 16 and 30. The analysis included 96% of the original sample, 547 men and 497 women Main results: After controlling for initial health behaviour and symptoms as well as for working class background and late unemployment, early unemployment among young men and women showed a significant explanatory effect on smoking, psychological symptoms and-among men only-somatic symptoms after a follow up of 14 years. No correlation was found between early unemployment and late excess alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Early unemployment can contribute to adult health problems. Thus, youth unemployment constitutes a significant public health problem, which to a certain extent remains in adult age.

Author information

Author/s: Hammarström, A (A); Janlert, U (U);

Affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Sweden. anne.hammarstrom(-atsign-)fammed.umu.se

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Journal of epidemiology and community health (J Epidemiol Community Health), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Aug; vol 56 (issue 8) : pp 624-30

Dates: Created 2002/07/15; Completed 2002/09/27; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 12118056, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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