Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death globally, with cardiovascular diseases accounting for 17.9 million deaths worldwide in 2023. Of these, a staggering 85% were attributed to heart attacks and strokes. A recent study has now shown that the risk of heart attack varies in women based on their employment status.
A recent study, conducted by researchers at UCLA, found that self-employed women have fewer risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to their salaried counterparts.
Women and heart health
The researchers analyzed data from 19,400 working adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Unlike many previous studies that relied primarily on self-reported health data, this research incorporated biological and physical measurements, such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and glucose tolerance, which provide more reliable indicators of cardiovascular health. They also looked at the association between self-employment and CVD risk factors that included elevated cholesterol, hypertension, glucose intolerance, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking, binge drinking, sub-optimal sleep duration, and poor mental health.
Though the findings showed some positive associations between health outcomes and self-employment among white men, the researchers found women had the most favourable CVD risk profile associated with being self-employed, possibly because they are more likely than men to experience stress and time demands related to balancing responsibilities across work and home.
The researchers also found that self-employed women had cardiovascular risk profile than salaried women. This was especially pronounced among women of color. On the other hand,
Compared to their non-self-employed peers, self-employed white women experienced:
Dr. Kimberly Narain, the lead author, said, “There is a relationship between self-employment and heart disease risk factors and this relationship seems to be stronger in women relative to men. It is imperative to increase our understanding of how the work environment gets under our skin so we can come up with ways to ensure that everyone has access to a healthy work environment.”
Previous studies have shown an association between the structure of employment and cardiovascular disease risk. For instance, high-strain jobs with higher psychological demands and less autonomy have been linked with hypertension and CVD.
A recent study, conducted by researchers at UCLA, found that self-employed women have fewer risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to their salaried counterparts.
Women and heart health
The researchers analyzed data from 19,400 working adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Unlike many previous studies that relied primarily on self-reported health data, this research incorporated biological and physical measurements, such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and glucose tolerance, which provide more reliable indicators of cardiovascular health. They also looked at the association between self-employment and CVD risk factors that included elevated cholesterol, hypertension, glucose intolerance, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking, binge drinking, sub-optimal sleep duration, and poor mental health.
Though the findings showed some positive associations between health outcomes and self-employment among white men, the researchers found women had the most favourable CVD risk profile associated with being self-employed, possibly because they are more likely than men to experience stress and time demands related to balancing responsibilities across work and home.
The researchers also found that self-employed women had cardiovascular risk profile than salaried women. This was especially pronounced among women of color. On the other hand,
Compared to their non-self-employed peers, self-employed white women experienced:
- A 7.4 percentage point decline in obesity
- A 7.0 percentage point decline in physical inactivity
- A 9.4 percentage point decline in poor sleep duration
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- A 6.7 percentage point decline in poor diet
- A 7.3 percentage point decline in physical inactivity
- An 8.1 percentage point decline in poor sleep duration
Dr. Kimberly Narain, the lead author, said, “There is a relationship between self-employment and heart disease risk factors and this relationship seems to be stronger in women relative to men. It is imperative to increase our understanding of how the work environment gets under our skin so we can come up with ways to ensure that everyone has access to a healthy work environment.”
Previous studies have shown an association between the structure of employment and cardiovascular disease risk. For instance, high-strain jobs with higher psychological demands and less autonomy have been linked with hypertension and CVD.
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