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[DATELINE[DATELINELOCATION] – A recent study has revealed that self-employed women exhibit fewer risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to their non-self-employed counterparts. This suggests that the work environment may significantly influence the development of risk factors associated with heart attacks.
The research,published in BMC Public Health,indicates that while self-employment showed some positive correlations with health outcomes among white men,women demonstrated the most favorable CVD risk profile. This could be attributed to the higher likelihood of women experiencing stress and time constraints related to balancing work and home responsibilities. In contrast, self-employed men of color did not experience the same health benefits.
According to led author Dr. Kimberly Narain, assistant professor-in-residence of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, this study is unique in its use of lab tests and body measurements, rather than self-reported data, to explore the relationship between self-employment and heart disease risk factors. it is indeed also the only study to consider differences across sex and racial/ethnic minority status.
Credit: Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
“There is a relationship between self-employment and heart disease risk factors and this relationship seems to be stronger in women relative to men,” said Narain, who is also director of health services and health optimization research at the Iris-Cantor-UCLA Women’s Health center. “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.”
Understanding the Link Between Work and Heart Health
Prior research has established connections between employment structure and cardiovascular disease risk. Some studies have indicated better health outcomes for individuals in executive positions compared to those in clerical or administrative roles, which are frequently enough held by women and people of color. Additionally, job control has been linked to health benefits, with high-strain jobs characterized by high psychological demands and low autonomy being associated with hypertension and CVD.
Though, many of these studies have relied on self-reported measures, which can be unreliable due to recall bias and other factors.
Key Findings from the Study
This study utilized data from 19,400 working adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to analyze the association between self-employment and CVD risk factors. These risk factors included elevated cholesterol, hypertension, glucose intolerance, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking, binge drinking, sub-optimal sleep duration, and poor mental health. The researchers explored these factors across sex, race, and ethnicity, using biological and physical measures for greater reliability.
The study revealed several negative associations between self-employment and health outcomes, indicating lower rates of specific CVD risk factors.
Among white women, self-employment was linked to:
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
Among women of color, self-employment was associated with:
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
And among white men, self-employment was associated with:
A 6.5 percentage point decline in poor diet
A 5.7 percentage point decline in hypertension
The researchers suggest that the lack of similar benefits among self-employed minority men may be due to higher entry barriers and failure rates in their businesses, as well as limited access to financial capital and mentorship.
Limitations and Future Research
The study’s cross-sectional design prevents causal claims. Unmeasured characteristics,such as personality traits and coping mechanisms,may also influence individuals’ choice of self-employment and their development of CVD risk factors. Furthermore, the study could not differentiate between individuals who chose self-employment and those who were forced into it.
Study co-authors are Daniela Markovic and Dr. Jose Escarce of UCLA.
