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Job-loss and weight gain in British adults: Evidence from two longitudinal studies

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  • Monsivais, Pablo
  • Martin, Adam
  • Suhrcke, Marc
  • Forouhi, Nita G.
  • Wareham, Nicholas J.

Abstract

Overweight and obesity have been associated with unemployment but less is known about changes in weight associated with changes in employment. We examined weight changes associated with job-loss, retirement and maintaining employment in two samples of working adults in the United Kingdom. This was a prospective study of 7201 adults in the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk study (aged 39–76 years) and 4539 adults in the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) who were followed up over 43 months and 26 months, respectively. In both samples, changes in measured (EPIC) and self-reported (BHPS) weight were computed for each participant and assessed in relation to three employment transitions: maintaining paid employment, retirement and job-loss. Regression models adjusted for potential confounders. Further analyses evaluated the contribution of diet, physical activity and smoking to weight gain. In EPIC-Norfolk, weight change differed across the three employment transitions for women but not men. The mean (95% CI) annualised change in weight for women who became unemployed over the follow-up period was 0.70 (0.55, 0.85) kg/y while those who maintained employment gained 0.49 (0.43, 0.55) kg/y (P = 0.007). Accounting for changes in smoking, diet and physical activity did not substantially alter the difference in weight gain among groups. In BHPS, job-loss was associated with weight gain of 1.56 (0.89, 2.23) kg/y, while those who maintained employment 0.60 (0.53, 0.68) kg/y (P < 0.001). In both samples, weight changes associated with retirement were similar to those staying in work. In BHPS, job-loss was also associated with significant declines in self-reported well-being and increases in sleep-loss.

Suggested Citation

  • Monsivais, Pablo & Martin, Adam & Suhrcke, Marc & Forouhi, Nita G. & Wareham, Nicholas J., 2015. "Job-loss and weight gain in British adults: Evidence from two longitudinal studies," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 223-231.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:143:y:2015:i:c:p:223-231
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.08.052
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    2. Faraz Vahid Shahidi & Carles Muntaner & Ketan Shankardass & Carlos Quiñonez & Arjumand Siddiqi, 2018. "Widening health inequalities between the employed and the unemployed: A decomposition of trends in Canada (2000-2014)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(11), pages 1-22, November.
    3. Clare Whitton & Yvonne Hui Min Wong & Rob M. van Dam, 2021. "Longitudinal Associations of Marital, Parenting, and Employment Transitions with Weight Gain in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population Aged 21 Years and Above," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-14, July.
    4. Jatta Salmela & Tea Lallukka & Elina Mauramo & Ossi Rahkonen & Noora Kanerva, 2020. "Body Mass Index Trajectory–Specific Changes in Economic Circumstances: A Person-Oriented Approach Among Midlife and Ageing Finns," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-13, May.
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    6. Högnäs, Robin S. & Bijlsma, Maarten J. & Högnäs, Ulf & Blomqvist, Sandra & Westerlund, Hugo & Hanson, Linda Magnusson, 2022. "It's giving me the blues: A fixed-effects and g-formula approach to understanding job insecurity, sleep disturbances, and major depression," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 297(C).
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    8. Manel Antelo & Pilar Magdalena & Juan C. Reboredo & Francisco Reyes-Santias, 2020. "How Are Unemployed Individuals with Obesity Affected by an Economic Crisis?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-17, March.

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