Abstract
BackgroundUnemployment is a source of acute and long-term psychosocial stress. Acute and chronic psychosocial stress can induce pronounced changes in human immune responses. In this study we tested our hypothesis that stress-induced low-grade tissue inflammation is more prevalent among the unemployed.MethodsWe determined the inflammatory status of 225 general population subjects below the general retirement age (65 years in Finland). Those who had levels of both interleukin-6 (≥ 0.97 pg/mL) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (≥ 1.49 mg/L) above the median were assessed to have an elevated inflammatory status (n = 72).ResultsAn elevated inflammatory status was more common among the unemployed than among other study participants (59% versus 30%, p = 0.011). In the final multivariate model, those who were unemployed had over five-fold greater odds for having an elevated inflammatory status (OR 5.20, 95% CI 1.55-17.43, p = 0.008).ConclusionThis preliminary finding suggests that stress-induced low-grade inflammation might be a link between unemployment and ill health.
Highlights
Unemployment is a source of acute and long-term psychosocial stress
No other differences were found in levels of IL-6 or high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in relation to gender, economic situation, smoking, alcohol use and somatic diseases
No other statistically significant correlations were found between hs-CRP or IL-6 and age, body mass index (BMI), BDI score or length of education
Summary
Unemployment is a source of acute and long-term psychosocial stress. Acute and chronic psychosocial stress can induce pronounced changes in human immune responses. Poor health may lead to unemployment or be an obstacle to employment opportunities, while, vice versa, being unemployed may have an adverse effect on one's health [3,4]. Several health problems such as stress symptoms, mental disorders, hypertension, and coronary heart disease are associated (page number not for citation purposes). Many socio-demographic factors such as sex, age, education, alcohol consumption, obesity, and other adverse life-styles modify the relationship between unemployment and health [7], and even unemployment and mortality [10]
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