International Journal of Epidemiology 2002;31:1155-1161
© International Epidemiological Association 2002
Special Theme: Psychosocial |
Serious health events following involuntary job loss in New Zealand meat processing workers
a Te Röpü Rangahau Hauora a Eru Pömare (Eru Pömare Mäori Health Research Centre), Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
b Department of Public Health, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wellington, New Zealand.
c Te Röpü Rangahau Hauora o Ngäi Tahu, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
d Ngäti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated, 509 Orchard Road, Hastings, New Zealand.
Correspondence: Vera Keefe, Te Röpü Rangahau Hauora a Eru Pömare, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Box 7343, Wellington South, Aotearoa/New Zealand. E-mail: tmhvko{at}wnmeds.ac.nz
Abstract
Background The association between unemployment and poor health outcomes is well documented. Significant debate exists as to whether unemployment causes ill health or whether those with poor health find it harder to obtain and maintain employment. Factory closure studies are well placed to comment on causation. The objective of this study was to investigate associations between involuntary job loss, mortality and serious illness.
Methods An 8-year follow-up of workers from two meat-processing plants in the Hawkes Bay region of New Zealand. A cohort (n = 1945) made redundant in 1986 was compared with a cohort (n = 1767) from the neighbouring plant that remained open until 1994. Incidence rates for mortality, cancer registrations and admissions to public hospitals were derived from record linkage with routinely collected national data.
Results Follow-up for the period 1986–1994 was 96% complete for both plants. Among the cohort made redundant in 1986, there was an increased risk of serious self-harm which led to hospitalization or death (adjusted for age, sex and ethnicity relative risk [RR] = 2.47; 95% CI: 1.04–5.89) compared to the employed cohort. The RR of admission to hospital with a mental health diagnosis was 1.17 (95% CI: 0.68–2.01). There were no other statistically significant findings.
Conclusions This study has most of the features of an ‘ideal’ factory closure study, in that it achieved near-complete follow-up of a large workforce made redundant and a similar employed workforce for 8 years. We found that exposure to involuntary job loss increased the risk of mental distress leading to serious self-harm. No other association was found.
Keywords Redundancy, unemployment, self-harm, factory closure, longitudinal studies
Accepted 3 April 2002
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. Eliason and D. Storrie Does Job Loss Shorten Life? J. Human Resources, April 1, 2009; 44(2): 277 - 302. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P Martikainen, N Maki, and M Jantti The effects of workplace downsizing on cause-specific mortality: a register-based follow-up study of Finnish men and women remaining in employment J Epidemiol Community Health, November 1, 2008; 62(11): 1008 - 1013. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Bamia, A. Trichopoulou, and D. Trichopoulos Age at Retirement and Mortality in a General Population Sample: The Greek EPIC Study Am. J. Epidemiol., March 1, 2008; 167(5): 561 - 569. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Steenland and L. E. Pinkerton Mortality Patterns following Downsizing at Pan American World Airways Am. J. Epidemiol., January 1, 2008; 167(1): 1 - 6. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Martikainen, N. Maki, and M. Jantti The Effects of Unemployment on Mortality following Workplace Downsizing and Workplace Closure: A Register-based Follow-up Study of Finnish Men and Women during Economic Boom and Recession Am. J. Epidemiol., May 1, 2007; 165(9): 1070 - 1075. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Cohen, M. E. Kemeny, L. S. Zegans, P. Johnson, K. A. Kearney, and D. P. Stites Immune Function Declines With Unemployment and Recovers After Stressor Termination Psychosom Med, April 1, 2007; 69(3): 225 - 234. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Joffe and J. Mindell Complex Causal Process Diagrams for Analyzing the Health Impacts of Policy Interventions Am J Public Health, March 1, 2006; 96(3): 473 - 479. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. Catalano and B. Bellows Commentary: If economic expansion threatens public health, should epidemiologists recommend recession? Int. J. Epidemiol., December 1, 2005; 34(6): 1212 - 1213. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Mindell and M. Joffe Mathematical modelling of health impacts J Epidemiol Community Health, August 1, 2005; 59(8): 617 - 618. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Vahtera, M. Kivimaki, P. Forma, J. Wikstrom, T. Halmeenmaki, A. Linna, and J. Pentti Organisational downsizing as a predictor of disability pension: the 10-town prospective cohort study J Epidemiol Community Health, March 1, 2005; 59(3): 238 - 242. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D McLean, S Cheng, A 't Mannetje, A Woodward, and N Pearce Mortality and cancer incidence in New Zealand meat workers Occup. Environ. Med., June 1, 2004; 61(6): 541 - 547. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. V Kasl and B. A Jones Social epidemiology: towards a better understanding of the field Int. J. Epidemiol., December 1, 2002; 31(6): 1094 - 1097. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|