Citation

Aguilar-Palacio I, Carrera-Lasfuentes P, Rabanaque MJ. Int. J. Public Health 2015; 60(4): 427-435.

Affiliation

Departamento de Microbiología, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Zaragoza University, C/Domingo Miral s/n., 50009, Saragossa, Spain, iaguilar@unizar.es.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00038-015-0668-9

PMID

25724155

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To explore health status and lifestyles in young Spanish people in 2006 and 2012, the changes between these 2 years and the influence of employment status on health and lifestyles in this period.

METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of the Spanish National Health Surveys 2006 and 2011/12 in people 16-24 years old (3701). Regression analyses for pooled cross-sectional data were developed. Employment status was considered as explanatory variable of health (self-rated health, diagnosed morbidity and mental disorders) and lifestyles (overweight, tobacco and alcohol consumption).

RESULTS: Male unemployment was associated with poor self-rated health (OR 1.88; CI 95 % 1.00-3.53), mental disorders (OR 2.42; CI 95 % 1.02-5.76) and tobacco consumption (OR 1.62; CI 95 % 1.00-2.62). During the economic recession, young people presented better health results than in 2006. Unemployed who had never worked consumed less tobacco and alcohol than short-term unemployed.

CONCLUSIONS: Unemployment was associated in young men with poor self-rated health, mental illness and tobacco consumption. Despite the economic recession, young people presented better self-rated health, diagnosed morbidity and mental health in 2012 than in 2006, especially in women.

Language: en