The Association of Health and Employment in Mature Women: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Background: Despite a reduction in income inequalities between men and women, there is still a large gap between income and retirement savings of Australian men and women. This is especially true for women who have health or disability problems. Mature age women are closest to retirement and, therefore, have less chance than younger women to build up enough retirement savings and may need to continue working to fund their older age. Continued workforce participation may be particularly difficult for women who are less healthy. Understanding which health problems lead to a decrease in workforce participation among mature age women is crucial. Therefore, this longitudinal study sought to identify which health problems are associated with employment among midage women over time. Methods: Data were analyzed from the midage cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH), which involved 14,200 midage women (aged 45-50 years in 1996). The women have been surveyed four additional times, in 1998, 2001, 2004, and 2007. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to conduct nested multivariate longitudinal analyses. Results: The percentages of women who were employed in the years 2001, 2004, and 2007 were 77%, 72%, and 68%, respectively. Results were adjusted for sociodemographic variables. Being employed decreased as physical and mental health deteriorated and with self-reported conditions: diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric conditions. Back pain, arthritis, cancer, obesity, and being a current smoker are associated with employment but not when quality of life is added to the model. Conclusions: There were significant associations between health and employment. Understanding these relationships could inform policies and guidelines for preventing declines in employment in mature age women.

Diabetes Associated With Early Labor-Force Exit: A Comparison Of Sixteen High-Income Countries

“…33 The impact may be greater for women, who on average work for fewer years than men do. 34 The economic implications of diabetes might also be relevant for employers, who face costs from diabetic workers through productivity losses medical claims and disability benefits. 29 On a national level, the financial losses are considerable.…”

Economic Benefits of Investing in Women’s Health: A Systematic Review

“…Poor health among women has not only generational repercussions, but also implications for contemporaneous labor force participation, productivity, earnings, family income, and economic wellbeing. When looking at labor force participation, a longitudinal study from Australia found that having diabetes, high blood pressure, or psychiatric conditions decreased the likelihood of women’s employment [ 147 ]. Globally, only 52% of the world’s adult women participate in the labor market, 26% lower than men.…”

Efficacy of Acupuncture for Low-Back Pain

“…The data such as body-mass index (BMI) (LBP increases with raised BMI 2 ); races (Asians have higher acceptance of ACU and greater reluctance to use Western medicine, 3 and their BMI is lower than that of other ethnic groups 4 ); day of sick leave for LBP (an ACU practitioner is not able to issue a sick leave certification in Canada, if a patient wanting a medical absence or malingering would only visit a GP); employment (unemployed patients may be more financially restricted, and tend to spend less on food 5 and not consider ACU treatment that is not covered through the public health system in Canada).…”