Working beyond the typical 9-5 years at a younger age can be linked to poorer health decades later

The hours you work earlier in your life may be linked to poorer health years later, according to a study published in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Wen-Jui Han from New York University, USA.

Studies have consistently shown that nonstandard work schedules – working outside the traditional nine-to-five workday – can negatively impact physical and mental health, as well as social and family life. The current study uses a life course approach to provide a longer-term perspective on how work schedule patterns across the working life impact the health of people in middle age.

Han used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 (NLSY79), which contains data on more than 7,000 people in the US over a thirty-year period, to see whether employment patterns in younger adulthood were related to sleep, physical health and mental health. at the age of 50.

Han found that about a quarter of participants (26%) worked stable standard hours, while another third (35%) worked mostly standard hours. About 17% initially worked standard hours in their 20s, but later moved to casual work patterns – a combination of evening, night and variable hours; 12% first worked standard hours and then switched to variable hours. A final 10% largely did not work during this period.

Compared to individuals who worked primarily during traditional daytime hours throughout their careers, those whose careers had a more volatile work schedule slept less, had lower sleep quality, and were more likely to report depressive symptoms at age 50. The most striking results were seen in those who had stable work hours at age 20 and switched to more volatile work hours at age 30. This effect size was significant and comparable to that of having an education below the high school level.

Han also found racial and gender-related trends. For example, Black Americans were more likely to experience volatile work schedules linked to poorer health, highlighting how some groups disproportionately bear the ill effects of such work patterns.

Han suggests that volatile work schedules are linked to poor sleep, physical fatigue and emotional exhaustion, which can leave us vulnerable to unhealthy living. The study also suggests that positive and negative effects of work schedules on health can accumulate over a person’s life, while highlighting how employment patterns can contribute to health inequalities.

Han added: “Work that should provide resources to help us live a decent life has now become a vulnerability to a healthy life due to the increasing insecurity in our work arrangements in this increasingly unequal society. People with vulnerable social positions (e.g. women, blacks, the less educated) bear these health consequences disproportionately.”