Job insecurity tied to asthma risk: study

Düsseldorf, Germany – Job insecurity could increase a person’s risk of developing asthma, a recent study from the University of Dusseldorf suggests.

Researchers reviewed information from more than 7,000 working adults in the German Socio-Economic Panel Study in 2009 and 2011. Participants answered questions about asthma and their thoughts on the likelihood of losing their job in the next two years. Researchers measured their answers by 10-percent increments and categorized them as “high,” “low” or “no” threat.

The risk of asthma increased by 24 percent for each 25 percent increase in job insecurity, and the risk grew to 60 percent among those who believed they were “very likely to lose their job,” compared to participants who thought their job was more secure, according to a press release.

The research supports other studies connecting stress with the risk for asthma, researchers said. But they caution that “no definitive conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect” from the observational study.

The study was published online Sept. 22 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.