The "healthy worker morbidity effect" shows employed individuals have lower chronic illness rates than the general population. This effect persists and grows during stable employment, unlike acute conditions.
Area of Science:
Occupational Health
Epidemiology
Public Health
Background:
The
healthy worker effect
complicates mortality studies by suggesting healthier individuals enter the workforce.
A similar phenomenon may influence morbidity comparisons between occupational groups and the general population.
Purpose of the Study:
To investigate the existence and characteristics of a
healthy worker morbidity effect
using national survey data.
To compare morbidity rates for chronic and acute conditions between employed and unemployed groups.
Main Methods:
Utilized data from the National Center for Health Statistics' Household Interview Survey (HIS) from 1969-1974.
Analyzed a sample classified by race, sex, age, occupation, and health conditions.
Computed age-specific and standardized morbidity ratios for blue-collar, professional/managerial, and unemployed individuals (ages 25-59).
Main Results:
A
healthy worker morbidity effect
was observed for chronic health conditions, but not for acute conditions.
This effect for chronic morbidity remained consistent and appeared to increase over a 35-year period of stable employment.
Employed groups exhibited lower morbidity for chronic conditions compared to the unemployed.
Conclusions:
The
healthy worker morbidity effect
is relevant for chronic conditions, mirroring findings in mortality studies.
This effect has implications for understanding population health and occupational health surveillance.
Age-specific morbidity ratios are valuable for assessing the health of employed populations.
