The Impact of employment and hours if work on health status and health service use

Over the past 15 years there have been important changes in female labour force participation rates and the hours that both women and men work. With these altered workforce patterns has come an increasing interest in the relationship between work and health, particularly for women who often juggle a variety of traditional and workplace roles. As an increasing number of women are working full-time and their work
patterns and pressures are becoming more like those of men, it is useful to compare male and female health and workforce patterns, to anticipate the types of health and work relationships that women might expect to face in the future.
This study uses the results of 1989-90 national health survey to analyse the relationship between employment status, the numbers of hours people spend in paid work, their health status and their use of health services. Also analysed is the relationship between selected health risk indicators and the numbers of hours people spend in paid work.