Employment as A Health Strategy

The Generation Effect, published by McMaster University.

A principle in my life in the context of health has been to look upstream. What this means is to look at the root cause for the antidote to adverse health. To look at prevention.

I always thought a healthy lifestyle, sometimes called “wellness”, was the golden key to prevention. However, there may be another golden key. Not a new golden key, but another one. Both are crucial, and this is not a competition.

Earlier this month I attended a seminar by Jeffrey Martin in Hamilton. The session showcased his research, titled The Generation Effect, collaborated through McMaster University and PEPSO (Poverty and Employment Precarity in Southern Ontario).

The findings?

Self-rated general health being poor/fair for millennials: 18% for precarious employment, 3% for secure employment

Self-rated mental health being poor/fair for millennials: 39% for precarious employment, 13% for secure employment

Amazing isn’t it — a factor such as the nature of employment can have an effect on general health and mental health, just like that piece of broccoli or 5K run.

Would you like to hear of a few other interesting statistics?

88% of precarious employment millennials delayed large purchases (i.e. vehicles, housing), 31% of secure employment millennials delayed large purchases (i.e. vehicles, housing)

37% of precarious employment millennials delayed relationship (i.e. marriage), 9% of secure employment millennials delayed relationship (i.e. marriage)

47% of precarious employment millennials delayed children (i.e. families), 24% of secure employment millennials delayed children (i.e. families)

What if the emotions associated with large purchases, relationships, and children, in the form of stress, are doses of adverse health? As the findings illustrate, a factor such as the nature of employment can have an effect on general health and mental health.

I used to believe I could live upstream at the gym or health food isle, now I also split my time at the job skills factory — continually sharpening.

Link to the online study PDF: https://www.economics.mcmaster.ca/pepso/documents/the-generation-effect-full-report.pdf

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Nathan Kolar, www.reachworldwide.ca